Change for the Better
by Jess13
Summary: Feeling uncomfortable about the changes to the SGC since she’d first left, Sam gets herself reassigned. In the process she discovers some deep feelings that need to be addressed. SamDaniel pairing, may contain small S10 spoilers. Final chapter now up!
1. Chapter 1

Change for the Better

Author: Jess

Rating: PG-13 for now.

Archive: Anywhere – just let me know where it's going and keep my name on it.

Subjects: S/D romance, angst, UST

Summary: Not long after Vala has returned and joins SG-1 full-time, Sam still feels uncomfortable about the changes since she'd first left. She gets herself reassigned, and, in the process, discovers some deep feelings that really need to be addressed.

Spoilers: Early Season 9 up to Beachhead, as well as some possible spoilers for Flesh and Blood, the first episode of Season 10. Takes place early on in Season 10 after Vala has become a member of SG-1.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters do not belong to me; they are the property of MGM/Showtime/The SciFi Channel/Sony Pictures, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Film Corporation. This story is written solely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for commercial profit. This story is copyrighted December, 2005 and may not be used or altered without the express permission of the author.

A/N: If you are reading this after Season 10 has begun airing, please keep in mind that as of this writing, it has only been recently conceived and only a few spoilers for S10 storylines have been leaked. Therefore, some things might not fit in with canon. In that case, please consider this slightly AU.

* * *

Sam entered the commissary and scanned the room, hoping to locate anyone familiar. After eight months back with SG-1, she had settled back into her routine. There was no question in her mind that it was good to be back, but the feeling that something still didn't seem quite right to her remained. 

At times she would question the wisdom of her superiors' decision to reassign her to Area 51. She recalled the events in her mind, including Jack being assigned to Homeworld Security and Teal'c becoming more involved with the free Jaffa on Dakara. It was as if SG-1 was breaking apart. She felt that she had no reason to remain there and at that time she didn't question the reassignment. She did have the unpleasant feeling that she was going to be leaving a lot behind. There was her familiar old lab, the commissary where she and her fellow teammates would congregate over less-than-appetizing food, and, most importantly, her friends. She recited their names in her head: Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, Siler, Walter, Dr. Lee …

In her short list, Daniel's name came first. Was it any real surprise? An overwhelming feeling of guilt accompanied the recitation of his name. As far as she knew, Daniel was remaining at the SGC; he'd told her that not long after Jack was reassigned. He was fairly confident that he'd be assigned to another SG team and still be able to go offworld. He assumed that Sam would be, too, before she told him that she was going to Area 51.

After that, Daniel didn't seem as adamant about staying at the SGC. At first, Sam thought it was because he felt that his closest friends would be leaving and he didn't think there was much point to him staying. She then began to wonder if his change of heart had something to do with her. He seemed content to remain there as long as she was there. She might have thought it was due to the fact that she would be the only other member of SG-1 left, but the reality that Teal'c was still there surfaced. True, he might not be around often since he was heavily involved with the Jaffa, but he would probably still be a fixture of the SGC in some manner.

Later the same day that Sam had told him she was being reassigned, Daniel announced to her that he was requesting to join the Daedalus to the Pegasus Galaxy. Sam wasn't all that surprised, as visiting Atlantis was something he'd wanted to do for quite some time. It was the fact that he'd come to the decision so suddenly after learning about her own departure from the SGC that gave her pause.

After about six months or so, Sam had rejoined SG-1 and found things quite different than they were when she left.They had a new base commander in General Landry. The new leader of SG-1 was Colonel Cameron Mitchell. The new CMO was Doctor Carolyn Lam, who was very different from Janet Fraiser but still likeable. Oh, and then there was Vala Mal Doran, the alien woman who had stolen the Prometheus and had an interesting confrontation with Daniel.

Sam had been a bit uncomfortable with all the newness, especially after she had first returned. Granted, she had spoken to Daniel quite often while she was at Area 51 and he had filled her in on the excitement that had taken place, but to experience the newness in person was different.

Here it was, now eight months later, and she was still not very happy about all the changes on SG-1. Not only had Vala become a full-fledged teammate, but now Colonel Mitchell had more or less replaced her as team commander. She would be taking orders from him, despite the fact that they were of equal rank. His position was justified by the fact that he'd been the team leader during her absence. General Landry felt that he'd done a good job and didn't see any reason to change his status when she returned. To be honest, it didn't really matter to Sam one way or the other, as she was so used to being commanded by other people. The shakeup had bothered her just a bit, however. She'd always been used to SG-1 being made up of her, Daniel, Jack, and Teal'c – then her, Daniel, and Teal'c once Jack was promoted to General.

Back in the immediate present, her eyes finally settled on someone familiar sitting at a table at the far end. Daniel was sitting alone, eating his lunch. She was a bit hesitant in deciding to join him, as their camaraderie had seemed a bit strained ever since she'd returned. Sam had a suspicion that Vala had something to do with it. She noticed that Daniel acted quite irritated toward Vala during the mission for which Sam had returned. After Vala had rejoined them from the Ori home galaxy about a month ago, however, his irritation seemed more subtle and he seemed to show more patience and compassion toward her. Sam held out hope that she herself and Daniel would become close once again and even though they would meet and talk, they still didn't seem as close as they did before.

Still, the fact remained that Daniel was a friend, and the only friend she could spot in the commissary at this time. It seemed that people had been treating her a little differently ever since she'd come back and she thought that, out of all the people in the room, he would be the one most likely to accept her presence at his table.

She wasn't very hungry so she grabbed a half of sandwich and a carton of milk. Daniel looked up and nodded as he saw her approaching his table.

"Hi, Sam," he said genially.

Sam managed a slight smile. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"No, of course not." He gestured for her to take the seat across from him.

"Thanks," she said, almost inaudibly.

She watched him finish eating his sandwich before she got started on hers. She expected him to initiate conversation, but an almost deafening silence was between them instead. She sighed deeply, perhaps to get his attention.

Daniel took one last sip of coffee and looked at her curiously. "Something on your mind?" he asked.

"I don't feel comfortable here," she said uneasily.

"What do you mean?"

"I guess that sounds silly. I've been back for eight months, but things still seem so … different. I sometimes feel like I just don't fit in."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "The way people treat Vala, it's like she's already become a permanent fixture on SG-1," she said with a hint of abrasiveness in her tone that made her wince inwardly.

He looked at her blankly.

"They all seem to joke around with her a lot, chat with her a lot, and ask her for advice. They've been treating me like an outsider. No one really talks to me that much and they seem to avoid me.It's like I'm carrying some alien plague," she continued, exaggerating the situation to suit her purposes.

"I didn't notice that," Daniel replied casually.

She laughed bitterly. "No, of course you wouldn't." The way she spat that statement out made her wince also.

"What do you mean by _that_?" he asked baldly.

"She's been monopolizing your attention too, Daniel. Please, don't think that I don't notice it. I know that link you two had is long gone, ancient history, but it doesn't seem like it sometimes."

"Are you jealous, Sam?"

She should have known this was coming. She looked at him pointedly and decided to ignore the question. "Why is she still here anyway?" she asked, sounding like a petulant child.

"You are jealous," he said, more to himself than to her. The expression his statement produced told him that he was right.

"SG-1 cannot be a five-man team, Daniel," she continued.

"I think that's up to Landry to decide, Sam," he shot back, his voice quiet in disbelief. "Are you suggesting that you'd like to get yourself reassigned?"

Sam's eyes widened. She was not expecting Daniel to pose this question to her and it felt like an insult. She almost expected him to sympathize with her, and instead he was calling her bluff. "Maybe I will," she replied coolly. "I don't see what the point is of having two colonels on a team."

Daniel regarded her incredulously. Was she taking issue with Mitchell being on the team now?

"Though I really don't see the point of having _her_ on the team, either," she continued, Daniel's silence making her feel that she was on a roll. "What is her expertise? Stealing things? If you ask me, she's a liability, not an advantage."

Daniel took in a sharp breath and fixed her with a piercing look. He'd had enough of this. Yes, there were many things about Vala that he could not stand, and perhaps deep down he thought that, in some ways, Sam was correct. But he still took exception to her grousing and thought that her putting down of Vala was unfair.

"I think we should discuss this somewhere more private," he said. His voice was quiet, but the indignation was unmistakable. It actually cultivated fear deep inside Sam.

"Fine," she replied in a neutral tone as she discarded the sandwich wrapper and empty milk carton before following him down the corridor.

* * *

Daniel was surprised to find his office door open, as he was sure he'd locked it before heading down to eat. He was even more surprised to find Vala inside, perched on the edge of his desk. 

"Hello, darling!" she greeted him impishly, swinging her legs back and forth. "I've been waiting here for you!"

"Ah … yeah," Daniel replied awkwardly, holding the word out. "How did you get in here? I know I locked up before I went to eat."

"Oh, you did. I suppose you've forgotten that I had a copy of your key made several weeks ago, hmm?" She grinned and held up a small key, unaware that her statement only added insult to injury.

Daniel sighed miserably."Vala, Sam and I need to discuss something important. Could you come back later?"

Vala blinked and then her eyes widened when she finally really noticed Sam for the first time. "Oh! Yes. Hello, Colonel Carter," she said with a smile that seemed quite fake.

Sam responded with a severe glare.

"Ouch," Vala remarked quietly. "Did I say something wrong?"

Daniel quickly looked at Sam and sighed. "No. We just … we need to discuss our last mission."

"Oh, yes, to P3Q-961.Please, let's discuss," Vala said eagerly, swinging her legs again.

"Get out," Sam growled.

Daniel briefly winced and then turned to Vala. "No, we have to discuss this without you, Vala. I need Sam's astrophysics expertise. I'm sure it would bore you."

Sam's eyes widened and she almost appeared insulted as she whipped her head around to look at Daniel.

Vala shrugged. "Fine, fine. I'll be off." She begrudgingly hopped off the desk and made her way to the door, glancing at Sam as if she was affronted. She then turned back to Daniel. "Anytime you want to discuss matters of … er … _other_ importance, you know where to find me," she told him suggestively.

Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed as Vala made her way out of his office. Once she was gone he looked sharply at Sam, his eyes tinged not only with indignation but with frustration over Sam's behavior.

"Now, what is your problem, Sam?" he asked calmly.

"Well, part of the 'problem' just left the room," she said unyieldingly.

"You do realize that she's bluffing, don't you? I mean, you've been around her long enough to see that she's joking around."

"Really, huh?" she asked coldly.

Daniel's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Okay, let's hold off on her behavior for now –"

"No, let's not," Sam interrupted.

Daniel sighed again. "Sam, why are you making this so hard?"

Sam lifted an incredulous eyebrow at him. "You're accusing me of being difficult?"

Daniel chuckled in disbelief. "Well, it's plain to see that you _are_ being difficult, and that you have a real problem with Vala being here."

Sam could feel an uncomfortable warmth rise up into her cheeks. Yes, he was correct; she did have a problem with Vala being here. What he didn't know was that this problem concerned himself as well as Vala. Over the past ten years, she and Daniel had grown quite close and developed a special friendship. Sam had almost taken for granted all the times that they'd shared together – late nights over coffee and chocolate walnut cookies in each other's offices discussing some new kind of alien technology; getting together during down time off base for a trip to a museum or just pizza and a movie; and then there were the times they were there to comfort each other during times of great stress and sorrow.

During most of that time, Sam could always find Daniel in his office, willing to talk to her about anything. She'd taken it for granted all these years. Now, Vala took up a great deal of his time. Daniel didn't visit Sam in her office as much as he used to, only if it was for information he really needed concerning one of their missions. He pretty much stopped coming to her for advice, and, whenever they had down time, he'd usually end up staying on base, apologetically declining her offers to do something together with the excuse that he had to catch up on some work. Sam felt almost as if a wedge had been driven between them, and that wedge was slender, raven-haired, and possessed a saucy tongue.

"Okay, you're right – I am being difficult," she finally replied. "I'm being difficult for reasons that you probably wouldn't understand."

Daniel's frustrated expression softened slightly as he met her gaze. "Try me," he said quietly.

"I …" she hesitated. She looked at him for a long moment, deciding whether she should really come clean and tell him out loud the thoughts that silently plagued her. Would he really understand her concerns, or would he dismiss them?

Sam finally decided to answer him but before she could do so, a shuffling of feet from outside Daniel's office distracted her. She turned her head and witnessed Vala standing nearly out of her field of vision. The small spark that prompted her willingness to tell him was suddenly extinguished and a feeling of uneasiness welled up inside her.

Sensing Vala drawing closer, Sam turned back to Daniel and cleared her throat. "I really have to go," she said, burden evident in her voice.

Daniel watched her curiously and made some sweeping, uncomprehending gesture with his hands. "You were going to say something," he said.

"Yeah, well, just forget it now," she insisted. She looked away and noticed Vala standing with her hands on her hips. She gave the dark-haired woman an icy glare and then turned back around to face the archaeologist. "I'm sorry I wasted your time, Daniel," she said, her cool tone masking some heavy emotions that were threatening to surface. With that, she spun on her heel and abruptly made her way out of his office.

"Sam," Daniel called after her. He stood outside his door, gaping incredulously at Sam's retreating form. He half hoped that she would turn around and come back, but the further she disappeared down the hall, the more his hope ebbed away.

Daniel sighed in frustration once Sam was gone from sight. He turned and noticed Vala watching curiously.

"What happened?" she asked.

Failing to answer her, Daniel removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just … just never mind," he said, agitated.

Vala remained perplexed for several moments and then shrugged. "So, are you ready to discuss the mission to P3Q-961?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"I'd rather that we didn't," Daniel replied. "I have to finish a translation."

Vala could tell that Daniel wasn't exactly telling the truth; okay, that he wasn't telling the truth at all. "What translation?" she pressed, her brow furrowing in confusion.

_The meaning behind Sam's behavior_, Daniel thought to himself. "Look, Vala, it's nothing against you," he said aloud. "I just want some time alone now. I'll see you tomorrow morning in the commissary, okay?"

Vala's expression turned from exasperation to resignation to slight amusement. "All right," she said nonchalantly. "But don't you work yourself too hard there; even thinking too much will take its toll on you, Doctor." She bestowed a coy grin upon him.

As Vala walked away, Daniel rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly. After being around Vala for quite a while, he was used to her flirting and teasing, but it only seemed to grow more and more annoying. If he ever told her to stop, she'd pooh-pooh it and just return from where she left off. It was something that she would never give up, unfortunately, as it was a part of her personality.

He shut his eyes and sighed. Why was he agonizing over Vala when he was so perplexed and concerned about Sam? She would not come out and tell him what was bothering her. Yes, he knew she had a problem with Vala, but there was something else.Something else beneath the surface was eating away at her, and he wished he knew what it was so he could help her deal with it. They were friends, after all – friends who came to each other for advice and comfort in times of need.

True, they had grown apart slightly ever since she'd come back to the SGC from Area 51. It had been more gradual, though. Even before Vala had returned to them, the camaraderie they had wasn't up to the level it had always been. Mostly, it had been the result of being apart during various missions. Things definitely weren't the same as when Jack had been their commanding officer, or even as when he'd been promoted and Sam took command of SG-1. Daniel wasn't exactly sure of the reason; perhaps it was a difference in Mitchell's strategic methods. In the end, he surmised that it was just the way things turned out.

These thoughts reminded Daniel of just how much things had changed in the past year. In some respects he wished that they hadn't; he missed the family dynamic he'd had with Jack, Sam, and Teal'c that was still present in some form even when Jack became base commander. He knew there was nothing he could do about it, though, and he learned to accept the changes. Although the relationship he'd started to develop with Mitchell was much different from that which he'd had with Jack, he really respected the Lieutenant Colonel and was glad to have his friendship.

He then thought about Sam. No doubt it must have been harder for her to accept the changes than it was for him, especially since she'd been gone when they were first implemented. What he couldn't figure out, however, was her problem with Vala. He never really noticed any friction between the two women before. Sure, he couldn't rule out that Sam had some underlying issues with Vala that she kept bottled up when associating with her on a regular basis, especially on missions. It would certainly explain Sam's most recent behavior.

If only she would just come out and tell him what was bothering her. What was preventing her from doing so?

Releasing an explosive breath, Daniel removed his glasses and began to massage his temples. He hoped that, whatever the problem was, she would reconsider and tell him so that he could help her find a solution.

* * *

Having returned to her office, Sam agonized in her mind what she should do. First of all, what was the problem? That was easy: the problem was Vala. In order to arrive at a solution, all she had to do was isolate the problem. Unfortunately, there was no way that Vala would be taken off SG-1 unless she did something to really warrant it, so Sam would have to isolate herself from the problem. That only meant that she'd have to be reassigned. 

She stopped to think about what that would mean. She would no longer be with Mitchell, Daniel, or Teal'c on missions. She would certainly miss them at first, but she has no choice. Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it was good to have a change.

She thought again about Daniel. Yes, she would miss him at first as well, but it just wouldn't work with her on SG-1. Besides, with Vala still there, he probably would not miss her, at least as much as he would otherwise. She began to think that she wasn't really worth much to SG-1 anyway.

Before she could agonize over it any further, she made her way hurriedly down to Landry's office. If she thought about it a second longer, she might try to talk herself out of doing this and that wasn't an option.

* * *

Daniel sat hunched over his desk, mired deep in translation of another ancient tablet. He tried to concentrate as best as he could, but he still couldn't shake the odd feeling he had after what happened with Sam the other day. They'd been on stand down this week and he hadn't seen much of her at all, even in the commissary for meals. He tried to put these thoughts aside and concentrate on the task at hand when a short, abrupt knock, rudely interrupted. 

Sighing heavily, Daniel rolled his eyes and straightened up. That was Vala's signature knock, which could only mean that she was here to torment him about something. He was not in the mood, but he figured he'd get rid of her as expediently as possible.

His eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly when he found Sam standing in front of the door, looking at him gravely.

"Sam," he said, nonplussed. "I …" He was unable to speak for a moment and then continued, "I'm sorry, I … I'm just surprised. I haven't seen hide nor hair of you for a couple of days. I mean, I know we're on stand down, but …" He trailed off awkwardly.

"Are you alone?" Sam asked, undeterred as she looked past him into his office.

Daniel regarded her curiously. "Ah … yes, I am," he said slowly.

Sam gazed at him for a moment and then affected a tiny smirk. "Really. I'm surprised to find that you don't have any 'visitors.'"

Daniel's reaction to her almost snide tone wasn't the one she was expecting. He gave her a little smile and rolled his eyes. "She was supposed to debrief SG-12 this morning. Right now I think she's down at the commissary, probably bugging the staff to see if they have blue Jell-o." He finished with a slight sarcastic laugh.

Sam took his laugh as one of fondness and bristled. "I'm not here to discuss _her_," she spat out rather impatiently.

Daniel's laughter came to a grinding halt and the smile was wiped from his face. "What do you want to see me about?" he asked.

Sam's gaze fell upon the floor as she drew in a deep breath. Her eyes returned to Daniel and she looked at him for a long moment, her expression emotionless. "I've put in for reassignment," she said, her tone cold and business-like.

Daniel's eyebrows nearly leapt off his forehead, her revelation taking him completely by surprise. "W-what?" he said incredulously.

"As of tomorrow I will be on SG-13. It was hard trying to find another team that would accept me so quickly. Luckily they have a need for someone who is part soldier and part scientist," she continued.

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion as he stared at her, regarding her completely serious expression with utter disbelief. "This is a joke, isn't it?" he chuckled lightly.

His soft laughter ceased as her expression remained unchanged. "I am not joking. I'm being reassigned, Daniel. Don't try to stop me."

She moved to leave but he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Sam, wait," he pleaded. His expression was a mixture of disbelief, confusion and frustration; perhaps there was even a little concern lurking within it. As he stared at her, he had so much to ask but he couldn't arrange all the words into something coherent. "Why?" he asked her simply.

A tiny part of her felt crushed by the slight note of disappointment in his voice. She warned herself not to get pulled into that trap once again, the trap where she was unhappy with a situation but allowed herself to be prevented from doing anything about it, particularly by someone close to her. Her hardened expression remained and she attempted to keep her voice neutral. "I don't really want to discuss it," she replied, unfortunately not able to keep a subtle undertone of regret from slipping out. "All I'll tell you is that I'm not happy on SG-1."

"Not happy?" Daniel parroted incredulously. "Sam, what could you possibly not be happy with?"

She wasn't going to tell him everything; she felt she didn't have to. He could probably guess what part of the problem was after the little argument that had taken place between them a few days ago. Her defiant side wondered why she had to tell him anything at all, feeling that there was no longer anything special in their friendship and that he didn't really deserve to be told. Her more sensible side took over and reminded her that he was a friend, one she'd had for quite a long time. At the very least, it was only fair to give him a reason for leaving the team.

"I … I don't feel as if I'm needed on SG-1. I mean, what do I contribute? Mitchell is now the leader. You are the scientist and still the diplomat even though you're much more proactive now. My astrophysics and technological expertise has rarely been needed, if at all. Vala … I still can't figure out what she does; I'm sure you would know more than I do." She winced inwardly at the cutting tone her voice had taken as she referred to the alien woman. Still, she continued, "Teal'c is … well, Teal'c does what he's done since he joined SG-1. I just don't fit anywhere into this equation."

If not for her current state of mind, she might have cracked that Daniel should change his expression or his face would freeze that way. He couldn't help it, though – he certainly was not expecting Sam to come out with anything like this. He slowly released an explosive breath and looked down at his hands.

"You don't understand," she surmised.

Daniel's gaze slowly lifted until he met her hardened, blue-gray orbs. "No, I don't," he said slowly. "I … I don't understand how you could feel like you're not wanted on SG-1, Sam. You've always been important to us –"

"Do you still think that?" she interrupted.

"Of course," he replied, almost taken aback. "If you felt this way, why didn't you come to one of us – at least to me or to Teal'c?"

Sam uttered a short, bitter laugh. "Well, maybe _Teal'c_ would understand … maybe," she said.

There was a hint of scorn in her tone that cut right through Daniel. "And why wouldn't I understand?" he asked with a hint of indignation.

"Oh, I don't know," she said flippantly with a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "I figured you wouldn't have time to discuss such things with me, what with being so 'preoccupied.'"

Daniel picked up on her meaning and his eyes narrowed. "That is complete bullshit, Sam. I've always been willing to discuss anything with you, especially something as important as you being unhappy and wanting to be reassigned."

Sam faked surprise, lifting an eyebrow. "Why are you so put out, Daniel? I thought you would take the news better than this. After all, you nearly suggested that I get myself reassigned."

Daniel remembered what had transpired between them a few days ago in the commissary and almost wished he could take it back. Still, Sam's behavior was beginning to make his patience wear thin. "Okay, maybe I did, but I didn't think you would actually _do_ it!"

For the first time, her hard, stony façade began to develop a few cracks and she felt a lump grow in her throat. She blinked furiously as her eyes began to sting, trying to drive away tears that would undoubtedly spring forth. "I'm on SG-13 from now on, Daniel. I feel it's the best thing," she said, her voice threatening to break. Before any more traces of emotion could appear, she turned on her heel and stalked away from him, never looking back as she hurriedly made her way down the corridor.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Having just returned to her office after a long debriefing, Sam sank into her small couch and sighed. Nearly two months had passed since she'd been transferred to SG-13 and, for the most part, she was content with the new arrangement. Their last mission had been successful and they had brought back some interesting pieces of alien technology that she couldn't wait to begin studying. Her new teammates were pleasant to work with and they had developed a bit of camaraderie.

Still, it wasn't the same as it was on SG-1. At times, she would think about how much she missed Teal'c, Cam, and especially Daniel. It was almost enough to make her question the wisdom of her decision. Thinking back to the day she'd made it, she remembered Daniel's reaction and how fast she'd left his office so that he wouldn't try to talk her out of it. She had planned on telling Cam and Teal'c as well, but, before she could, both confronted her about it after hearing it from Daniel.

Cam was first and he thought it was a joke. He regarded Sam in disbelief when she told him to the contrary. She didn't want to get too deeply into it with him, however, as she was worried that he might try to talk her out of it himself. He realized that she didn't seem willing to talk about it and decided to back off, although he still hoped she would reconsider. Teal'c was not very happy to hear the news either, but he trusted Sam and realized that, if she thought this was the best course of action, he was wise not to question it. He told her that he would miss her, but hoped that things would go well for her on SG-13.

As she thought about how much she missed them, it made her realize that she missed Daniel the most. When she had informed each of them of her decision, telling Daniel had been the hardest of all. _I've put in for reassignment. _Why had this been so difficult for her to say? She didn't seem to have any trouble making this decision, but telling Daniel about it was a different story. In all of her ten years on SG-1, she never thought she'd ever speak those words. Granted, with the present situation, they seemed to make perfect sense to her.

She stopped herself from dwelling on it any further and tried to resign herself to the fact that things were different now. She wished that they weren't, that things could go back to the way they were before last year, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. "Maybe it's all for the best," she muttered aloud to herself, though her tone wasn't exactly convincing. She still believed that she wasn't really needed on SG-1, as Cam had taken her place as team leader. Even though she still didn't know what Vala added to the team, she also believed – no matter how irrationally – that the others found her to be an acceptable replacement for Sam.

Sam realized then that she was feeling sorry for herself. She was supposed to be a tough soldier, and here she was, feeling sorry for herself like a teenager. It wasn't the first time she'd felt this way during her time at the SGC, but the reason behind it was probably the most ridiculous of all.

Before she could entertain the notion that she'd made a mistake in leaving SG-1, she silently berated herself and headed for her lab, hoping that studying the pieces of alien technology that were waiting for her would take her mind off these ridiculous thoughts.

* * *

Sam was barely able to laugh at a corny joke from Dr. Lee when she looked up from the object composed of naquada and her gaze settled upon the clock on the wall. The reality that it was after 2200 hours hit her, and she suddenly felt quite tired. After all the agonizing over her situation, it certainly was not out of the question. She would feel better if she'd call it quits for the night and get some much-needed rest. However, the piece of technology intrigued her and succeeded in taking her mind off the fact that she missed Daniel and being on SG-1. She decided that all she needed was a caffeine boost.

"Bill, I'm going to grab some coffee. You want any?" she asked Dr. Lee.

The other scientist's brow knitted in confusion. "Don't you have a coffee maker in here?"

A light grin flitted across Sam's face. "_Had_ a coffee maker," she corrected him. "Daniel borrowed it when his broke, and …" She trailed off and looked away from him, emotion briefly coloring her expression. She dismissed it and shook her head. "Never mind. Anyway, I thought now would be a good time to take a little break before we run the spectral analysis on the object from P4J-626."

Bill nodded. "You look like you could use a good break," he said, more than aware of her fatigued state.

Sam nodded ruefully and began heading for the lab door. "I'm heading down to the commissary. Last chance – do you want any coffee or not?"

Dr. Lee shook his head. "I'm fine."

Sam regarded him almost incredulously, as he'd been working nonstop for hours.

"I have these. They're much better than coffee," he said, holding up a large bag of chocolate candies – M&Ms, to be exact. "No danger of hot liquid spillage. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand, you know," he grinned.

Even though she was exhausted, Sam managed a slight laugh and rolled her eyes as Bill popped several of the candies into his mouth. She left the lab and headed slowly for the commissary.

* * *

Sam collected her cup of coffee and searched the room for any familiar faces. She didn't see any SG-1 members. Good. She was exhausted and not in the mood for any more emotional onslaughts. Her eyes wandered over to an empty table close to the middle of the room. She was about to head over to it when she felt someone clap her on the shoulder. She instinctively shut her eyes, worried for a moment that it was Cam or even Daniel, despite the fact that it wasn't like Daniel to clap someone on the shoulder like that.

"Hey, Sam, how's it going tonight?"

The friendly voice was not that of the Lieutenant Colonel or the archaeologist. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She opened her eyes to find Colonel David Stevens, the team leader of SG-13, smiling amiably at her.

"Hey, Sir," she returned with a slight smile. "I was just studying one of the new pieces of technology we brought back from 626. Dr. Lee and I were just about to run a spectral analysis."

Stevens nodded. "You've been working on that practically ever since we got back. You must be exhausted."

Sam nodded. "Well, I suppose a little," she fibbed. "It's nothing I can't handle, though."

Stevens grinned. "I like that confidence," he said lightly.

She gave him an awkward smile. "I figured it was about time I took a break and got some coffee to help me through the rest of the night. There are two other devices that also need to be looked at –"

"Did someone say they needed coffee? Count us in," a voice interrupted from outside the commissary doors.

Sam turned and found Major Lee Addams and Lieutenant John Pruzanski, the remaining members of SG-13, situated in the doorway. Making their way up to Sam and Colonel Stevens, they smiled.

"Hey, what are you guys still doing here?" Stevens asked, lightly socking Addams on the shoulder.

Pruzanski shrugged slightly as the team sat down at the table that Sam had her eyes on moments ago. "Reports," the blonde-haired Lieutenant said wearily. "Not only did I want to get a head start on the one for 626, but I still have to submit the one for P5C-1074 to the General."

Sam shut her eyes. "Oh, God," she breathed. "I completely forgot about that."

Stevens regarded her curiously as Addams and Pruzanski got up in pursuit of coffee. "How could you forget about that?" he asked. "It was due a week ago, Colonel. You're lucky that Landry has been pretty lenient in that regard."

"I know, I know," Sam returned, feeling like kicking herself. "I've just … I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

Stevens gazed at her expectantly. "Like what?"

Sam returned his gaze and found concern in his gray eyes. She was thankful that she'd made a friend in him, but she still wasn't willing to spill her guts to him – not completely, anyway. She sighed and looked away as she heard Pruzanski and Addams returning. "Just personal problems," she replied.

Stevens' brow furrowed but he merely shrugged and said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Sam nodded awkwardly. "Thanks, but I'd appreciate it if we didn't discuss it."

Stevens appeared slightly surprised but he shrugged again. "Oh. Okay."

"Discuss what?" Pruzanski suddenly piped up.

Not realizing that the other two men had just rejoined them, Stevens sighed. "Nothing," he said as Sam eyed him carefully. "So, let's talk about the game Monday: Cleveland versus Washington. What do you think, Addams?"

Taking another sip of her coffee, Sam tuned out the football discussion. She really owed Colonel Stevens one for deftly changing the subject. She glanced surreptitiously at each of her team members and smiled inwardly, thinking that maybe things had turned out for the best. They were sweet, funny, easygoing guys, and she was content being on their team.

"So, Sam … I mean, Colonel Carter," a voice interrupted her thoughts.

She fixed her questioning gaze on Major Addams.

"Cleveland versus Washington – what do you think?"

Sam affected a tiny grin. "Not that I follow football as closely as you guys do, but my money is on Washington."

Pruzanski looked at her like the cat that swallowed the mouse. "Care to make that an official bet, Colonel?"

Smiling playfully, Sam leaned forward and patted him on the arm. "No thank you, Lieutenant. But I -"

She was cut off by a sound of footsteps. She turned and blushed faintly upon seeing Cam enter the commissary. Watching him make his way inside the room, Sam felt a pang of sadness develop inside her. It made her realize what a good friend he was and that she really missed him.

She was about to turn back to her fellow team members when she suddenly witnessed Daniel entering the room, followed closely by Vala. The sight caused her to tense up and almost made her feel nauseous; not just the fact that Vala was with Daniel, but that it was the first time Sam had really seen Daniel after all this time and, deep down, it pained her to go without seeing him for so long.

Afraid that Daniel or Vala would notice her, Sam turned around and immediately returned her gaze to her coffee cup. She nervously took a sip and grimaced as the now lukewarm liquid hit her throat. She looked back at her team and, realizing they were still engrossed in the football exchange, sighed. She tentatively turned her head back to the area formerly occupied by Daniel and Vala. There was no one there.

She was about to return her attention to her coffee when she spotted Teal'c in front of her, standing in line with a tray and a dish of Jell-o. Teal'c noticed her almost immediately and cast his gaze upon her. As she locked eyes with the Jaffa, she found something akin to concern in his expression. He appeared to be debating over whether he should walk over to her and say something, or leave her alone. He decided to leave her alone, but his gaze remained on her as he headed toward the back of the room.

Sam watched as he joined the remaining members of SG-1 at a table that Cam had grabbed for them. Cam was sitting next to Vala, with Daniel right across from her and Teal'c across from Cam. Vala looked like she was in the middle of some stupid joke or the suggestive remarks for which she was well known. Cam was rolling his eyes and Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow. Sam couldn't tell what Daniel's reaction was, as he had his back to her.

Hearing the sound of Daniel's voice caused the pang of sadness to swell in her stomach and travel up through her chest and into her throat. It threatened to consume her and she could no longer take it. Perhaps the best course of action was for her to leave.

She turned back to her fellow team members and attempted an apologetic expression. "I have to go," she said hastily, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

Stevens, Pruzanski, and Addams regarded her curiously.

"I have to get going on that spectral analysis," she elaborated.

"Okay. Don't work yourself too hard, though," Stevens said, giving her a slight smile.

"Don't worry about me," she muttered as she stood up and grabbed her coffee. She didn't catch Stevens' shrug and the look he shared with the other two as she quickly moved away from the table. Tears stung her eyes as she headed for the doorway, not caring if anyone was looking at her or not, particularly SG-1.

She also didn't catch Daniel watching her at that point. He'd heard someone nosily pushing a chair in somewhere behind him. He turned and witnessed distress on Sam's face before she turned and hastily exited the room. She appeared as if she was upset. Despite all that had happened nearly two months ago, Sam was still his friend and Daniel hated to ever see her upset about anything.

Soon after she'd left, he was still sitting turned around, gazing at the doorway from which she had exited, and wondering what was bothering her. Finally he turned back around to see Mitchell in the middle of a mostly one-way conversation with Teal'c. Vala appeared to be gazing in the direction of the commissary doors with an odd expression on her face. It appeared that she was smiling, although not so overtly. Her expression seemed vaguely reminiscent of satisfaction, but it was still hard to read. Daniel regarded her curiously for a moment and then resigned himself to finishing his coffee.

* * *

Instead of going straight to her lab, Sam returned to her office and sat on her couch, hands covering her face. She sat still for a few moments, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions that littered her psyche. She realized that the palms of her hands had become wet, thanks to the tears that had left her eyes and traveled slowly down her cheeks. Seeing SG-1 in the commissary had affected her much more than she'd thought. It had been about two months since she'd transferred to SG-13 and she couldn't deny that she really missed her former team members. She also couldn't deny that she missed Daniel the most of all.

She straightened up and sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. She tried not to let her emotions get the best of her again. She really did miss Daniel and she began to regret how her words and actions had caused them to be apart. However, she tried to resign herself to the fact that things were different now.

Why did she have to keep using that as an excuse? She was clearly showing signs that she wasn't too happy about the situation. Why hadn't she chosen to do anything about it? She could have gone to see General Landry and asked to be put back on SG-1. Daniel had told her that she was an integral member of her old team, just as she'd always been. Why was it so hard for her to believe it herself? Why was it hard for her to entertain the notion that maybe he didn't want her to go?

_Because he doesn't care one iota if I go_, she thought bitterly. _To him, Vala is a good enough replacement for me. He spends so much time with her, just as he had once done with me. Now being in his company is something I can only dream of. _

Whoa. Those last few thoughts gave Sam pause. Was she actually jealous of Vala? She felt like gagging at the mere thought, but it certainly wasn't something that could be ruled out. After all, Sam had spent a lot of time with Daniel in the past and ever since Vala arrived on the scene, it seemed as if she had replaced Sam.

She shook her head, realizing how silly that all sounded. She was a bigger person than that and should not let her pride be hurt by thinking that the alien woman was her replacement. Vala and Daniel had been thrown together first as a result of their impromptu bond over a year ago, and then again due to her subsequent giving birth to a "miracle" child with all the knowledge of the Ori. It was as if they'd always be connected in some way or other. It only seemed right that they would be spending so much time together, wouldn't it?

That sounded even sillier to her. Just because some important events caused Vala and Daniel to be together in some fashion didn't mean that he had to avoid Sam to such an extent. She and Daniel had been apart on missions and involved in different matters before and they'd still manage to get together for coffee or downtime activities. In the end, there was nothing to do but face up to the fact that things were now different between her and Daniel, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Instead of letting herself be drawn further into the pit of depression, she stood up and made her way over to her desk, searching for the report that she owed the general. Sighing in relief that it had been completed, she grabbed it and left her office. En route to Landry's office, she hoped she could keep her emotions in check until she left the base.

* * *

That night, Sam had a dream. It had to be a dream because she was still on SG-1. She looked around and realized she was on the Odyssey. Colonel Emerson was surrounded by fellow officers and was barking out orders. Cam and Teal'c were there as well, casting worried glances over Emerson's shoulder. The whole atmosphere seemed tense.

"Colonel, what's going on?" Sam asked Emerson worriedly. He seemed to ignore her and spoke to Cam instead.

The ship shook slightly and sparks started flying. Sam was extremely confused and frightened. For one thing, she didn't know where Daniel was. She was finally able to catch some of Cam's conversation with Emerson. It seemed that they were involved in a very dangerous mission and were in the middle of a fierce battle with some Ori ships.

Before she could obtain any more information, the ship was jostled and Sam was thrown violently, hitting her head on the corner of the console. At that moment, the ship took another hit and sparks began flying once again. Sam barely removed her hand from her head, where blood had started to seep out of a gash, when the sparks burned the exposed skin of her arm. She cried out in pain as all the commotion took place around her. Once she was able to spot them, she called out to Cam and Teal'c, but they both seemed too preoccupied with the chaos to help her.

She then frantically looked around for Daniel when a pit in her stomach reminded her that he wasn't here. Suddenly it seemed as if she could sense where Daniel was. She didn't know how or why, but she could see that he was off with Vala somewhere. She couldn't make out their location, but they were off on their own somewhere far away. They were sitting together at a small table in what appeared to be a dusty old library covered from corner to corner with cobwebs. Vala was sitting very close to Daniel, listening as he read from a book. At one point, he stopped reading and gazed at Vala as she stroked his arm. He gave her a sweet smile, sweeter than any that Sam had ever seen before, and he pulled her close to him.

Sam squeezed her eyes shut, wishing that she could just turn off the part of her senses that was responsible for making her see this. The reality of her injuries surfaced for a brief time and she cried out in pain. However, her physical pain was supplemented with emotional pain. The fact that Daniel was alone with Vala and affectionate with her was bad enough, but the fact that he wasn't here to comfort Sam hurt her even more. She needed him to be with her and reassure her that the pain wouldn't last, that she would be okay. All she could see were people being thrown about, Cam and Teal'c trying to aid the people who had been injured, and Emerson trying to keep together what little faculties of his ship that were left.

Daniel was certainly not here.

Sam's vision blurred and a single tear rolled down her cheek before she closed her eyes.

* * *

Sam suddenly sat up in bed, panting. The dream had been so vivid that it didn't seem like a dream at all. She could hear all the yelling and feel the jostling each time the Odyssey was hit. She could feel the pain resulting from her head injury and the burn on her arm, as well as from the realization that Daniel wasn't there to comfort her. The images of Daniel and Vala together that she'd received were so clear they felt as if they'd been burned into her mind. It caused her more distress than she'd thought.

"Are you okay?" a sleepy voice close to her suddenly inquired.

Sam's eyes widened and she quickly turned her head in the direction of the voice. Someone was lying in bed next to her. Her heart began to race, worrying about how someone could have possibly gotten into bed with her through the course of the night.

The mystery guest turned over, finally revealing himself.

Sam's mouth dropped open. "D-Daniel?" she breathed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Daniel gazed at Sam with bleary eyes. "It's …" He paused as he turned and glanced at her clock radio. "…It's almost four AM. Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah – no, I'm not," she said, flustered.

Daniel sat up and looked at her expectantly.

"I, um … I … what's going on?" Noticing Daniel's confused expression, she continued, "How did you get here? I'm sorry if I'm not making sense. I just had a crazy dream and I'm a little confused."

Daniel edged closer to her and pulled her into his arms. "You asked me to stay the night with you because you were upset, remember?" he said.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion.

"You didn't want to be alone after what happened to SG-13," Daniel elaborated further.

Sam frantically searched her mind for any recent events remotely close to this, but she came up empty. Had something happened to her other team members that she didn't know about? "What happened to SG-13, Daniel?" she pressed.

Daniel held his index finger softly up to her lips. "It's okay, Sam," he said gently. "I'm here. Everything is okay." He supplemented his spoken reassurance with a soft, tender kiss on her lips. The action made Sam shiver at first and then a warm feeling flooded her body, making her feel safe. "Okay?" Daniel asked.

As if to make sure Daniel was really there, Sam reached out and softly touched his cheek. She was still a bit confused, but Daniel was indeed real and he was here with her, and it made her feel very good.

"Okay," she replied, a genuine smile on her face.

Daniel returned the smile and gave her a small kiss on the forehead before he eased back down onto the bed. Still in his arms, Sam eased back down as well and, within a short time, she had peacefully drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was 4:30 AM when Sam reawakened, the warm, pleasant feeling of being in Daniel's arms still fresh in her mind. After the harrowing dream she'd had, it calmed her and made her feel safe.

Unfortunately, when she glanced about her bed, she realized that his presence had been just that – in her mind. She was lying in the middle of the bed and there had been no telltale sign of another person having slept there. She was not ready to accept that it had been a dream, thinking at first that Daniel had gotten up for some reason. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She walked over to her doorway and called out into the hall.

"Daniel?"

There was no answer. Still not ready to give in, she padded down the hallway and searched the kitchen and living room. There was no trace of Daniel or any sign that he'd been with her at all.

Sam returned to her bedroom and the realization that her intimacy with Daniel had been another dream finally hit her. She put her hands to her mouth and tried to stifle a sob, but it came anyway. The tears began flowing again as the feeling of overwhelming loneliness that tried to conquer her over the past two months succeeded at long last.

She had tried to convince herself that leaving SG-1 was the right move and that no one on the team, particularly Daniel, would miss her. After all, he was always in Vala's company and she was most likely the object of his affection – or so Sam assumed. She still would not entertain the notion that she was jealous of Vala for one second.

However, this dream seemed to be trying to tell her something. It was no secret that she missed Daniel. But the fact that she was intimate with him and that it felt so _good_, and especially that she was unwilling to believe that it was just a dream, was a real eye-opener. Not only did she miss Daniel more than she'd originally thought, but she also cared about him a lot more than she'd originally thought.

She often wondered what it would be like to be in Daniel's arms, to gaze intently into the endless depths of his cerulean orbs, and to kiss his full lips. She didn't entertain these thoughts very much and pushed them away while Sha're was still out there. Even after Sha're died and Daniel had let go of most of his grief, Sam suspected that she had some stronger feelings for him, but she still didn't give much thought to them. She'd still considered him as her best friend.

Sam finally stopped crying and her eyes widened upon being hit by another important realization. This dream had reminded her that she'd also wondered what it was like to be loved by Daniel. At some point, Sam had fallen in love with him, on a level much deeper than friendship.

She'd done it. She'd fallen in love with her best friend, but she wasn't sure if he would ever return that love. It certainly seemed less likely now that Vala was here. She wondered whether or not she should talk to him about it. If she didn't, it was bound to eat her up inside and make her miserable. But would she look foolish if it turned out he didn't feel the same way?

Sam turned to glance at her clock radio. It was now 5:00 AM. Her alarm automatically went off and the radio started playing "Good Morning Heartache," an old jazz song.

"Oh, God, I don't need this," Sam moaned. She reached over and violently smacked the radio, nearly knocking it to the floor. She glared at it before reluctantly dragging herself to her closet. She was due back at the mountain soon, especially since she had to get started on the second piece of alien technology her team had brought back the other day.

As she passed her dresser, her eyes settled on a Polaroid photograph of her, Daniel, and Cassandra. It had been taken that day in the park more than nine years ago, the day after the bomb-in-the-chest crisis had been averted and the day that Jack had given the girl a dog. Sam and Daniel were sitting together on a park bench, with Cassie sitting on both their laps. The three of them were smiling happily and it caused a faint smile to tug at Sam's lips … such good times. The longer she stared at it, the more she began to wonder what she and Daniel would be like as parents. Reminding herself that there was about a zero percent chance of that happening, her depression returned.

She placed the photo back down on her dresser and proceeded to get dressed. There was no sense in agonizing over this as much as she was; she had work to finish up in the lab.

As she made the drive over to Cheyenne Mountain, she still couldn't help wondering whether she should tell Daniel about her feelings. In the past, she would have discussed something like this with Janet, but of course that was no longer possible. As she neared the front gate, Sam sighed. God, she wished she could talk to someone about this.

* * *

Sam looked away from her computer monitor and began to massage her temples. The second alien device had helped her succeed in getting her mind off the dilemma regarding her feelings for Daniel. Yes, it was something that she had to confront sooner rather than later, but the uncertainty of Daniel's feelings for her still cultivated fear within her. She could have held off on studying the device for a little while, but it presented a convenient stalling tactic to her.

She turned and furrowed her brow at Dr. Lee's empty chair until she remembered that the other scientist had taken off to the commissary for a lunch break. She'd asked him to bring her back something, as she wanted to avoid running into SG-1 again. If they were there, there was a good chance that Daniel was there as well and she didn't want to see him before she worked up the nerve to have the important conversation with him.

She glanced down at her watch and realized it was a good time to take a break herself. She wondered when Bill would be back and if she could risk a quick trip down to her office.

Before she could make a decision, there was a knock on the lab door. She highly doubted it was Bill, seeing as how he spent most of his time in here and hardly ever knocked. Could it be General Landry? She didn't think he needed to see her about anything important, although a visit from him wasn't out of the question.

She steeled herself for the possibility that it was Daniel and then berated herself for even thinking that he would have any reason to visit her. Still, there was a tiny spark of hope deep inside her that it was him and that she would finally have her chance to speak to him. As she opened the door, however, she found a familiar, hulking Jaffa on the other side.

"It is good to see you, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said sincerely, inclining his head. "May I speak with you?"

Sam gazed at him curiously. Truth be told, it was good to see him again as well, but she somehow got the idea that he wanted to try to talk her into rejoining SG-1. She didn't think she was ready to do that, at least not until she talked to Daniel. She quickly made up an excuse. "Uh … well, Teal'c, to tell you the truth, I'm kind of busy in here," she said, gesturing to the inside of the lab.

Teal'c gazed at her, undeterred. "I assure you that it will not take very long."

Sam briefly looked away from him and sighed. Teal'c knew her all too well and saw right through her excuse. He had left her alone when she'd first informed him of her reassignment but she could not avoid talking to him forever. Perhaps he wasn't trying to talk her into coming back. "Okay," she said quietly, stepping back to allow him entrance.

Teal'c stepped into the room and looked curiously at the devices on the table, one of which was under a microscope.

"We just brought these back the other day," Sam told him. "They're made mostly out of refined naquada. Dr. Lee and I ran a spectral analysis on the first one and we …" She trailed off, realizing that she was techno-babbling again and didn't think Teal'c was interested in hearing it.

Fortunately, the Jaffa didn't bat an eyelash and walked around the table, looking at the objects with interest. "It has been many days since we last spoke. In that time, you have become a member of SG-13. How has this change affected you?"

Sam was momentarily nonplussed, not expecting the question. "Oh … well … it's fine," she replied, not too convincingly.

Teal'c picked up on her uncertainty and his eyes became tinged with sadness. "I am aware that I have previously informed you, but I still regret that you have been reassigned," he said somberly. "It is not the same without you, Colonel Carter."

Sam chuckled bitterly. "Right, Teal'c, I'm sure it isn't. I'm sorry, but I didn't really feel that I was needed on SG-1 anymore. With all the changes on the team, I just felt that I was in the way."

Teal'c moved closer to Sam and gazed at her seriously. "You are incorrect. You are quite a valuable asset to SG-1, as you have been since the day we first met."

Sam opened her mouth as if she was about to protest, but shut it abruptly when she knew how hard it would be to argue with the Jaffa. She began to feel a bit guilty and her expression showed it.

"Something troubles you," Teal'c said quietly.

Sam collapsed heavily into a chair and leaned her elbows on the table, sighing as she covered her face with her hands. "How do you know?" she mumbled.

"Yesterday evening I saw you in the commissary. You were sitting with members of your team, but your face and your demeanor reflected unease. I was quite certain that something was troubling you, but I did not wish to speak with you in front of SG-13."

Sam lifted her gaze to meet Teal'c's. Her eyes began to sting with tears upon the memory of what happened the previous night, especially how she felt when she saw Daniel and Vala enter the commissary. It reminded her once again of her feelings for Daniel and how confused she was about what she should do to reconcile them.

"Okay, I admit it. I really miss you guys," she said, sniffling.

"As do we miss you," Teal'c returned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

As she looked up at him, Sam found both clarity and concern in his warm, brown eyes. She decided that she could talk to him about Daniel. "Teal'c, did you ever have feelings for someone, but it took you a long time to figure them out?"

Teal'c stared at her intently for a moment. "You are speaking of Daniel Jackson," he said quietly.

A faint blush stained Sam's cheeks and she nodded.

"I must tell you, Colonel Carter, that Daniel Jackson does miss you greatly," Teal'c stated.

"I'm finding it hard to believe that," Sam returned, her voice wavering as the tears threatened to fall. "He has Vala to keep him company."

A hint of a grin appeared on Teal'c's lips. "I assure you that there is no love between Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran," he told her, slight amusement lurking inside his voice.

Sam looked as if she really wanted to believe him. "Are you serious? Daniel and I used to spend so much time together, and now it seems that Vala takes up all of his free time, even his not-so-free time. I just assumed that …"

"Forgive my interruption, but at this moment I am reminded of one of O'Neill's peculiar statements. I believe it goes: Do not assume, because when you do so, you make a domesticated donkey out of 'you' and 'me.'"

Sam's lips quivered up into a smile and she began to laugh at Teal'c's slightly butchered version of one of Jack's signature sayings. Teal'c had something akin to a grin on his face once again, perhaps satisfied that he had caused Sam to laugh.

Sam reached up and patted Teal'c on the arm. "Thanks, Teal'c. I've been such a mess lately, I needed a laugh," she said gratefully.

Teal'c's grin faded and he inclined his head. "What of your feelings for Daniel Jackson?" he prompted.

Sam sighed before she began. "I had a dream last night. It was pretty intense. You and I and Colonel Mitchell were on the Odyssey, engaged in a battle with some Ori ships. We took a lot of hits and suffered a lot of damage. I was injured pretty badly – hit my head and burned my arm. Everyone was yelling and running around me but no one noticed that I'd been hurt. I kept looking for Daniel, thinking that maybe he could help me, but I remembered that he wasn't with us. He and Vala were off somewhere else, and, somehow, I could see them. I could see where they were. They were in some sort of old library, sitting close together and … being affectionate."

Teal'c lifted an eyebrow, listening intently to the details of Sam's dream.

"I know it's ridiculous, but it contributed some emotional pain along with the physical pain that I was already experiencing. I was lying on the ground in agony, feeling like this was the end when I suddenly woke up. It was so vivid that it felt like it was all really happening. It was one of the worst dreams I've ever had." She shuddered slightly.

"Indeed," the Jaffa said, concerned.

"I woke up, but I didn't really; it was still the dream. I noticed someone in bed with me, and it was Daniel. He said I asked him to stay with him because I was upset over something that happened to SG-13. I asked him about it but he insisted that everything would be okay. He held me in his arms and he … he kissed me." Sam's voice faltered. "After what I'd just dreamt I felt so safe, so warm being in his arms and the fact that it was just another dream …"

Sam's voice died in her throat and she cried as Teal'c gathered her into a hug. She felt warm again being in the Jaffa's arms, but it was a different warmth from that which she'd experienced being with Daniel in the dream. She found her voice again and continued, "I woke up and found that I was all alone again. Teal'c, you don't know how lonely I felt then. Being close with Daniel was something that I really, really wanted and it's something that I'll probably never have."

"It seems that this dream was meant make you understand the reality of your feelings for Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "Its goal was to show you that your love for him is stronger than that of mere friendship."

Sam pulled out of the hug and looked up at him, sniffling. She then looked away and nodded.

"You must inform Daniel Jackson of your feelings," Teal'c continued.

Sam focused her gaze back on him and appeared almost frightened. "Yeah, I know it's only fair to him to let him know, but I don't want to get hurt, Teal'c."

"Why do you believe you would get hurt?" Teal'c asked, confused.

"Because I can't be sure that Daniel has the same feelings for me," Sam said, sounding a bit impatient. "As I said before, I thought he had replaced me with Vala even before I left SG-1. Maybe he did have similar feelings for me at one time, but they long evaporated when Vala showed up." She winced inwardly at the bitterness in her tone.

"You cannot be certain of that," the Jaffa insisted. "I am confident that Daniel Jackson does indeed have great love for you." Sam's confused look prompted him to continue, "He has not been his usual self since you departed SG-1. He has been, as you would put it, 'preoccupied.' He has spoken very much of you during missions, as well as during gatherings for meals in the commissary. Vala Mal Doran has seemed somewhat irritated by this. He has also spoken with me in private, informing me that he wishes you would have reconsidered joining SG-13. He has not spoken very much of his feelings for you, but his behavior has led me to believe that they are quite similar to those which you hold for him."

Sam gazed at Teal'c intently, the sincerity of his words sinking in. They began making her feel even guiltier. Daniel had been talking about her a lot during the time she'd been gone? At first she entertained the notion that Teal'c was just making up excuses to get her to consider rejoining SG-1. She knew that he would never do such a thing, though. He was her friend and would not go to such ridiculous lengths in order to get her back on the team.

"This is true, Teal'c?" she asked in a small voice.

"It is, Colonel Carter," he said. "I have long believed that you and Daniel Jackson had feelings for each other beyond friendship. It seems that Daniel Jackson has begun to discover them and I am pleased that you have as well. It is my hope that you both will consummate these feelings."

Sam stared at him, stunned. She didn't know that Teal'c had ever felt this way. His words and his expression seemed so genuine. Hell, this was Teal'c; they _had_ to be genuine. They instilled in Sam the confidence she needed to talk to Daniel and reveal her feelings to him. They also revealed to her what a valuable friend she had in the Jaffa. She reached up and hugged him again. "Thanks, Teal'c," she told him in an uneven voice.

As she let him go and stepped back, she caught a hint of a warm smile on his lips. "You are welcome," he replied, bowing his head. "Are you now going to speak with Daniel Jackson?"

Sam's smile grew and she nodded. "Yeah, I am. I still have to finish these spectral analyses," she stopped and looked down at her watch, "Oh, and get something to eat. But I'll definitely tell him tonight."

Teal'c inclined his head once more and headed out of her lab. Once he'd gotten out into the corridor, he looked back at her and smiled faintly once again before walking away.

"Here ya go, lemon chicken," Bill Lee said as he threw a Styrofoam container in front of Sam, interrupting her thoughts.

Sam looked uncertainly down at the container and lifted the lid, then gave him a playful, almost sarcastic, grin. "Thanks," she said.

"Whoa, you're suddenly in an awfully good mood," the other scientist remarked.

"No, actually, I'm not," Sam replied, her mouth full of chicken as she ate enthusiastically.

"Uh … hungry, then?" he said wryly, watching her eat.

"You got me," Sam chuckled once she'd swallowed her food. "I'd like to finish up on these devices before tonight, if you don't mind," she said.

"Don't mind at all," Dr. Lee said. "Why? What do you have to do tonight?"

Sam suddenly found that she was without an excuse. She avoided his gaze and shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing much, really. I've just been burning the midnight oil lately and want to catch up on some sleep."

"Sounds fine to me," he said. "To be honest, I'd like to try getting out of here early myself. They're having a 'Facts of Life' marathon on Nick at Nite tonight."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "'Facts of Life'?"

Bill nodded. "Yeah, Tootie was always my favorite, though Mrs. Garrett was also quite a peach." A fond grin appeared on his face, which faded after a few seconds. "Never understood why they had to replace her with that Phyllis from Mary Tyler Moore."

Sam put the last of the lemon chicken into her mouth and glanced at him oddly. She then put it aside and directed her attention back to the object under the microscope, gesturing for him to join her.

* * *

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he stared at his computer monitor. He was supposed to have a report on SG-1's latest mission done by the next morning, but other things on his mind succeeded at distracting him. He hoped that another shot of caffeine would get him back on track.

He glared at his empty coffee cup and rose from his desk, heading over to the coffee maker on the other side of the room. He cursed to himself, realizing that he was out of coffee filters. He'd have to head down to the commissary and he was not sure he could afford a break if he wanted to finish his report in a reasonable amount of time.

He sat back down at his desk and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. He managed to type out a few more sentences before he glanced at his empty mug once again. He almost expected to see Sam standing in the doorway with two cups of coffee, one for each of them – or both for him if he was really down to the wire. He reminded himself again that she was on SG-13 and had not fraternized with him or anyone else from SG-1 for some time. It prompted feelings of frustration as he attempted to figure out what was at the root of Sam's discontent.

Before he could think about it any further, a knock sounded on his partly open door. Daniel made a slight face. Not only was he preoccupied over Sam, behind schedule in getting this report done, _and _coffee-deprived, but now he had to contend with a visitor. If it was Mitchell asking him to take part in some two-on-two, Daniel hoped the Colonel would have a replacement for him lined up. He was not in the mood for basketball by any means.

"Come in," he called out. He groaned inwardly when he found Vala on the other side of the door, grinning coyly at him.

Vala entered and, noticing the pained expression on Daniel's face, her grin faded. She made her way up to him and leaned forward with her hands on his desk. "What's wrong, Darling?" she asked in a husky tone of voice, reaching out to play with the soft strands of hair at his nape.

Daniel winced slightly at the moniker and briefly turned away from her. "Just … don't call me 'Darling,' okay?" he nearly pleaded, sounding more stressed out than usual.

Vala seemed almost affronted by this but she looked at him expectantly.

"It's Sam," he elaborated, his blue eyes clouded with distress.

The concern left Vala's eyes and she straightened up. "Oh, yes, Colonel Carter," she said.

Daniel averted his eyes and nodded.

"Her behavior has been a bit odd recently, especially over the past few months," Vala continued.

"I know," Daniel said. His tone was reluctant. "We had an argument a couple of months ago that led to her putting in for reassignment. It was over something very silly and I wish it had never happened. But, when I think about what she said, she's actually right in a way. Things are very different around here now. When SG-1 initially split up after Jack got promoted to Homeworld Security, I could feel the changes. I really wanted to resist them initially; I mean, SG-1 was my family. It's hard to let something as important as that go. But I realized that maybe things were changing for the better. Now I'm not so sure, especially ever since she's been on SG-13."

Vala looked at him curiously for a few seconds and then adopted a neutral expression. "Well, if you ask me, I think it's quite an improvement."

Daniel's eyebrows drew together. "What is an improvement?"

"The fact that Colonel Carter is no longer on the team," Vala clarified. "To be quite honest, I thought there was too much friction with her being there."

"What friction?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"Well, between her and Mitchell. It seems that she resents having to answer to him. Perhaps she's even jealous that she can no longer lead the team."

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "I never noticed anything like that and I can't see why she would ever be jealous of him. She never seemed to be after she came back last year." He then muttered under his breath, "Of course you wouldn't know that because you were lost in the Ori home galaxy at the time."

Vala shrugged. "It's just something I seemed to notice," she remarked casually, avoiding Daniel's gaze.

A realization hit Daniel and he looked at her intently. "You're talking about Sam and yourself, aren't you?" he said slowly. Vala continued to avoid his gaze, prompting him to continue, "Although I haven't really noticed any friction between you two either." He was correct; Sam and Vala weren't exactly buddy-buddy with each other, but they were civil. Daniel never noticed Sam being cold toward Vala on any of their missions. She was a good soldier and would never resort to petty behavior with a fellow teammate when they were on duty.

"I just feel that there is an element of competition between us and I don't like it," Vala said bluntly.

Daniel regarded her oddly. "What do you mean by 'competition'? Over _what_?" he nearly choked out.

Vala neglected to answer him. Deep down she felt there was some competition between Sam and her over Daniel. Yes, maybe that was a silly notion, but over the time that Sam was absent from the SGC, Vala had nearly free rein over Daniel and was able to spend almost every free moment in his company, whether he enjoyed it or not. Now that Sam was back, a wrench had been thrown into the works. Vala knew that Daniel and Sam were quite good friends and had known each other for a long time, apparent from the way they kept in touch during Sam's absence and the way Daniel interacted with her when she first came back. Even though he and Sam weren't spending a lot of time together, Vala felt it was only a matter of time before they would be fraternizing with each other constantly and she would be shoved out of the way.

"I don't think she is absolutely indispensable to the team and I can't understand why her not being there is such a problem for you," she finally stated.

Daniel's mouth dropped open and anger flashed in his eyes. "Excuse me?" he blurted out incredulously.

"I think our team is just fine the way it is," Vala continued glibly.

Daniel made a sound of utter disbelief. "In case you still don't realize it, Sam and I are friends and we've been friends for much longer than you and I have known each other. And she is important to the team because she is not only a good soldier, but her expertise in science and technology has come through for us more times than I can count."

Vala stared at him as he defended his close friend and former teammate. Daniel's tone seemed to let on that he knew Vala was jealous, but she couldn't be absolutely sure. "Oh, that's brilliant, Daniel," she said sarcastically. "How could I not realize it, after the way you talked about her nonstop these past two months? 'Oh, if Sam were here, she'd be able to figure out this technical doohickey in minutes.' 'Oh, Sam wouldn't do this, she would do _this_.'"

"That doesn't excuse what you just said about her," Daniel said firmly, fixing her with a look of contempt. "I just can't believe that you would talk about Sam this way." He shook his head in disbelief. "And I don't even want to know what you mean by 'competition.'" Vala moved her lips to speak but Daniel instantly held his hands up, signaling that he didn't want to hear anymore. "No, just … just leave, Vala," he said in an irritated tone.

For a moment, Vala looked at him with a mixture of frustration and hurt in her eyes. Realizing that she wouldn't get anywhere with Daniel, she turned around and quickly made her way out of the room.

Daniel winced as his office door loudly slammed shut, then sighed in frustration before his thoughts returned to where they'd left off: Sam. Recalling how Vala had just mockingly imitated him, he felt a small twinge of guilt. Had he really mentioned Sam as often as to become insufferable to his teammates? No one had ever said anything to him before. He did think about her quite a lot these past few months, so, admittedly, bringing her up as often as possible wasn't out of the question.

A fond smile grew on his face as he remembered when Sam had first returned. Even though he'd kept in contact with her while she was at Area 51, it was really good to have her back. He didn't really get to tell her as much, due to the important mission on which they were about to embark. His smile grew wider upon the memory of helping her move her things back into her lab. It faded as a twinge of guilt throbbed in his chest. Yes, he and Sam hadn't been spending much time together, especially off base. Admittedly, he'd been quite distracted the past eight months – not only due to Vala, but to the ongoing threat of the Ori.

Ha, some excuse that was. Even back when they faced the wrath of the different Goa'uld system lords and the replicators, they'd still find ways to spend time together, even if it was just talking about the latest threat to the galaxy over cups of coffee. Of course, back then, Daniel didn't have an annoying alien woman on his neck flirting with him every free chance she got. The only alien that came close to that was Thor, but he only ever requested Jack's presence. He didn't flirt with Jack, either; at least not that Daniel knew of.

The twinge of guilt metastasized into a full-fledged feeling that threatened to consume him. But why should he feel guilty? It wasn't his fault that Vala tried to monopolize his time, preventing him from getting some important work done and making less time for him to spend with Sam. But he could no longer hide from the fact that he really, really missed the Lieutenant Colonel. He missed the warm smile and the soft laugh that was like music to him. He missed the vibrant blue-gray eyes, the comforting touch, and the warmth of being inside her embrace.

It was then that he fully realized that his feelings for Sam had truly gone deeper than he originally thought. The fact that he was constantly talking about her all this time was certainly proof of that. Sometime over the course of ten years, he'd gone from loving her as a friend to loving her as so much more – and secretly hoping that she'd return that love. He wondered if Vala sensed it somehow. Her earlier behavior did seem to reflect jealousy on some level, especially with the mention of "competition." He then recalled the little argument he'd had with Sam that started this whole thing. Sam, the one whom he loved all along, had been jealous of Vala, the woman whom he didn't have any romantic feelings for at all.

He sighed heavily and sat with his elbows propped on his desk, his head in his hands. He realized that he really needed to talk to Sam about this. He only hoped that he wouldn't end up looking like a fool to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam checked her watch and found that it was 2200. She was finally going to talk to Daniel before heading back home for the night. She hadn't finished studying all of the alien devices and normally she would have forced herself to stay until she had, but she couldn't stop dwelling on the conversation that she needed to have with Daniel. It nearly left her exhausted and she decided that it wouldn't hurt to leave them until the next day. Her team wasn't due for a mission, so she would have plenty of time to spend in the lab.

Dr. Lee had already left so she made her way out of the empty room, turned the lights out, and locked the door behind her. She quickly made her way down the corridor but when she reached the elevator, she hesitated. She began to worry that Daniel might not feel the same way about her as she did about him, but a little voice inside her reminded her that she had to make her feelings known to him once and for all. She just couldn't go on like this, feeling lonely and depressed because Daniel might not have felt anything for her. 

She was about to push the button when an urgent voice stopped her. "Sam, wait a minute."

Sam whirled around and cast a curious glance at Colonel Mitchell, who was jogging down the corridor in her direction. She attempted a smile, but she had mixed feelings upon seeing him. On one hand, she had missed him quite a bit as well and thought it was good to see him again. However, she was a little worried that he would try to talk her into returning to SG-1. She'd thought about it, but the fact remained that Vala was there and she thought she was more aware of Daniel's feelings for Vala than she was of any feelings he might have had for Sam herself.

Cam's gait slowed as he neared Sam, though his urgent expression remained. "I was wondering if I could have a quick chat with you."

Sam groaned inwardly. She thought she had an idea of what he wanted to discuss with her. As she studied his face, however, she could tell that he was insistent upon talking to her and probably wouldn't leave her alone until he did. There was also a hint of concern reflected in his eyes that made her feel guilty for avoiding him and the rest of SG-1 for such a long time. She decided she would hear him out.

"I … I guess I could spare a few minutes," she said, a faint smile making its way to her lips.

Cam smiled back. "I promise you it won't take longer than that," he said. He turned and looked to make sure no one else was around, and then he gestured for her to follow him into the VIP room just ahead.

Sam took a seat at the small round table in the middle of the room and Mitchell sat down next to her. He gazed at his hands for a few moments, as if he wasn't sure how to begin. He then looked up at Sam. "So, not exactly having the time of your life on SG-13, huh?"

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh, w-whatever gave you that idea?" she asked, slightly shaking her head in denial.

Cam shrugged. "Oh, I dunno," he replied. "Haven't seen a ghost of you since you transferred. I thought that, if you had such a ball on Stevens' team, you'd swing by and regale us with wondrous tales of the newest technology you guys found, or the cool battles you'd gotten into … with you saving the day, I might add."

Sam chuckled and shook her head. She knew there was something else behind Mitchell's spiel and she wished he would just come out and tell her. "Cameron, no offense, but will you please just get to the point already?" There was a crooked smile on her face, but her voice was testy.

Cam sighed and looked down at his hands. Sam could tell that it wasn't going to be easy for him to say. "I'd like you to come back to SG-1," he said quietly. His gaze returned to her and he found her blue-gray eyes wide with surprise. After a moment, she chuckled again in disbelief. 

"You know, I had a feeling you were going to say that," she said ruefully, looking away from him. "Look, I miss Daniel, I miss Teal'c, I miss you, and I miss being on the team. I just don't see how I _can_ return to SG-1 with the way things are." She glanced over at him for his reaction. Of course, by "the way things are" she meant Vala being on the team and said woman's assumed relationship with Daniel. She wondered if Cam realized that.

He nodded. "Believe me; I know why you would feel that way. You want a good reason why you should return to the team? Okay, I'll give you one: Jackson is threatening to leave."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion and she looked completely nonplussed. "What? Daniel?" she asked in a small voice.

"I just ran into him a few minutes ago and he kept talking about how he wanted to transfer to another team."

"Uh … why?" Sam asked, still lost.

Cam shrugged again. "He said that he needs to be away from Vala."

His statement left Sam in astonishment. "He needs to be _away_ from her? But I thought that –"

"He and Vala had something going on between them?" Mitchell finished for her, a slight grin on his face. "'Fraid you're wrong, partner." Sam's nearly stunned silence prompted him to continue, "He's been complaining about how much time he's lost on projects, doing reports, and even his free time because of her. She doesn't give the poor guy breathing room. Guess he's finally come to the end of his rope."

A faint blush stained Sam's cheeks. "I just assumed that he welcomed-"

Cam uttered a short laugh. "Oh, no, Carter, I can tell you that he would _never_ welcome any of that. Vala is not his speed … which brings me to something else. He said he wanted to transfer to SG-13."

Sam blinked. "That's … that's my team," she said quietly.

Cam regarded her seriously. "That's right. Not only does he want to get away from Vala, but he really misses you."

Sam could feel a lump forming in her throat. "He said that?"

Mitchell nodded. "He's been flapping his gums about you an awful lot since you left. At first I thought he did it just to get under Vala's skin, but heck, it's easy to see that he misses you."

Feeling the tears return, Sam swallowed hard. "Teal'c told me something like that just before – that Daniel had been talking about me all this time. At first I wasn't sure if I should believe him. I mean, I care about Daniel so much and I didn't think he felt the same way about me. The fact that Vala was here and taking up all of his time just fueled my uncertainty. But after hearing you confirm it, I guess Teal'c was absolutely right … not that I really wanted to doubt him."

Cam nodded again. "Yeah, it's hard to doubt the big guy, isn't it?" 

Sam turned away from him and sniffled, appearing embarrassed to face him while she was on the verge of crying. 

"Look, Carter, why don't you think about coming back? I went through so much to get the team back together when I first got here. If it means that Jackson will stay, I'll boot Vala off the team." Sam's questioning look led him to continue, "He's also told me that you had some kind of problem with Vala. You know, you could have mentioned it to me at the outset – would have saved yourself a lot of trouble."

Sam shrugged. "I wanted to save you some trouble because it was really my problem. I thought I needed to deal with it alone. I also didn't think that Vala would be taken off the team and I was afraid that Daniel would object to the idea and be angry with me."

"Well, that's not the case now, is it? Jackson really misses you and he can't stand Vala, so she's going to be history."

Sam turned back to him and gazed at him tentatively.

"What do you say, Sam? It'll just be the old band again: me, you, Jackson, and Teal'c."

"Y-you mean it?" Sam stammered.

"Scout's honor," Cam replied. 

"Oh, geez, I …" Sam started, still flustered and in disbelief. She turned her head toward the door of the VIP room and then back to a hopeful-looking Mitchell. "Can I get back to you on that? I was just about to go and talk to Daniel."

A smile grew on Cam's face. "No hurry, ma'am. Hope you and Jackson will be able to sort things out. No, scratch that – I _know_ you'll be able to sort things out. And I know he'll be real glad to see you."

Sam supplied a genuine smile of her own for the first time since she'd talked to him. "Thanks, Cameron."

"Always happy to oblige, Carter," he returned, still sitting down and giving her a playful salute.

* * *

Still with a smile on her face, Sam left the room and finally headed for the elevator. As she rode it to the floor on which Daniel's office was, she really hoped that Daniel was alone, as she didn't know how else she could have this conversation with him. Her mind then began flooding with questions. What if Daniel wasn't alone? What if Vala was there, keeping him company? What if he really _didn't_ have feelings for Sam as she did for him, even after what Mitchell and Teal'c had told her? The "what-ifs" repeated themselves until they coalesced into a jumbled mess and she realized that they were just that – "what-ifs." She needed to stop this and focus on what she needed to tell Daniel. If she held these feelings back, they would just destroy her inside.

Her gait slowed as she neared Daniel's office. She found his door shut, but she was able to peer into the small window. Finding him completely alone, she breathed a sigh of relief. He was sitting at his desk, studying some sort of book. He was hunched over the desk and had his hand held to his forehead, his fingers dug into his hair. He appeared almost frustrated and she suddenly began to feel uncomfortable about bothering him.

She reminded herself again that this was something that she absolutely needed to do. She straightened up, steeled herself, and raised her balled up fist to Daniel's door. The knock she produced was timid, but it was loud enough to be heard.

She stepped away from the door and turned back to face the hallway. She waited a few seconds and it became apparent to her that Daniel wasn't in the mood for any visitors. She was about to convince herself again that this was a mistake when the door suddenly clicked open.

Sam whirled around and came face to face with Daniel. His eyes were tinged with a mixture of surprise and something akin to concern. He certainly didn't seem to be expecting her in the least. "Sam?" he said quietly.

_Oh, boy, here we go_, she thought, beginning to tense up a little. She kept a fairly calm façade, even though apprehension was reflected in her large, blue-gray eyes. "Daniel, I …" She stopped herself in order to collect her thoughts into some semblance of order. "I need to talk to you," she began again. "Do you have some time now?"

Daniel searched her face and nodded. "Sure. I was working on a report that's due tomorrow morning, but I've had so much on my mind that I don't have the heart to go back to it."

Sam wondered what he meant by that. Maybe he really was busier than he let on. "Look, if you're busy, I –"

Daniel held up a hand to stop her. "No, Sam, it's okay. To be honest, I was hoping to talk to you, too. The report can wait until later." He gave her a small, reassuring smile. 

The smile instilled some temporary hope inside of Sam and she responded with her own faint smile and nodded. Daniel opened his door further and stepped back to allow her entrance. 

Sam sat down on the chair next to Daniel's desk and gazed at him, almost unsure of where to start. Daniel cleared some of the mess off of his desk and quickly put his computer on standby so that it wouldn't distract him. He then gazed back at Sam, a part of him nearly ecstatic at seeing her again and a part of him still worried that he might make a fool out of himself in revealing his feelings for her.

"So," he said, feeling a bit awkward as he waited for Sam to begin. She merely stared back at him with a hint of a smile on her lips. Daniel turned and briefly glanced at his coffee maker. "I … ah … I'd offer coffee, but I ran out of filters," he told her with a sheepish chuckle.

Sam's smile grew an inch as she continued to gaze at him. Little did he know that, deep inside, she was still trying to gather her thoughts and feelings into something coherent that she could share with him.

"I can head down to the commissary and get us both a cup if you want," he continued.

Sam grinned and shook her head. "No, it's okay, Daniel," she told him.

Daniel nodded and then looked down at his desk as an awkward silence descended upon them. They both had something that they desperately needed to say to each other, but their individual insecurities were holding them back. 

Daniel finally decided that he should be the one to get the ball rolling. "So, ah … how are things working out on SG-13?" he asked, a hint of awkwardness still in his tone.

Sam gave a little shrug. "They're fine," she replied nonchalantly.

Daniel nodded, but the expression on his face revealed that he didn't quite believe her and that she should come clean with him. There was no point to putting up a front that she was in a great mood and didn't need to be with him or anyone else any longer; her deep feelings for him reminded her of that.

Sam's act crumbled as she averted her eyes, slumped her shoulders, and sighed. "They're not so fine," she admitted quietly. Daniel's eyes filled with concern, prompting her to continue, "I mean, don't get me wrong. Colonel Stevens, Major Addams, Lieutenant Pruzanski – they're great guys, but it's just not the same as it was on SG-1. I really, really miss Cameron and Teal'c …" As she trailed off, she shook her head slightly.

Daniel looked at her expectantly and, after she trailed off and it seemed that she had nothing else to add, his eyes became tinged with disappointment. He crossed his arms protectively in front of himself and lowered his gaze. He almost appeared defeated, with good reason. He'd been planning to reveal his feelings to her, but, if she didn't even miss him at all this whole time, then she obviously didn't have similar feelings for him.

"But I miss you the most of all, Daniel," she said, trying hard not to let her emotions spill forth just yet. 

At that, Daniel's head shot up and he appeared momentarily surprised. The surprise soon became colored by something that resembled relief as Sam continued, "I miss talking with you, I miss our little coffee breaks, I miss spending my downtime with you … there's no easier way to say this: I miss being with you."

Moving his chair out from behind his desk, Daniel sat closer to Sam and took her hand in his. "Oh, Sam, I miss you, too," he said, gazing at her tenderly.

She shook her head. "No, wait, there's more," she insisted. "Daniel, I …" She stopped abruptly as she met his gaze and realized how close he was to her. She felt as if she'd drown in the crystal blue pools of his eyes. She suddenly became flustered and struggled again to get her thoughts in order. "… I didn't know how I could come out and say this, but I have to or it will make me burst. Daniel, I care about you. I care about you more than I ever realized … _more_ than as a friend. I care about you as a lover."

Again, Daniel's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Y-you do?" he asked. On the outside he seemed almost stunned, but on the inside he was hoping that what he was hearing was real. 

Sam met his eyes with confidence and nodded. "Yes, Daniel," was all she could say. Deep down, she was worried about what Daniel's reaction would be.

The smile that spread across his face told her that she had no reason to worry. He really appeared to be grateful, and he was. He was grateful that she felt the same way about him as he did about her. He didn't have to worry any longer about making a fool out of himself in revealing his feelings to her.

"Sam, I …" he began. He cut himself off and shook his head slightly. Lacking the ability to express his feelings in mere words, he gathered Sam into a fierce hug. As he hugged her, his smile threatened to split his face in two. He was feeling not only pure happiness, but relief as well. These two feelings combined to produce a euphoria that he hadn't felt in ages. 

Sam herself was trying to keep a rein on her feelings as well, sniffling and clearing her throat. She wore a smile that rivaled Daniel's as he stroked the back of her head, an action that resulted in warm, tingly sensation flowing through her body. 

"Sam, I guess I can't deny it any longer," Daniel said as he slightly loosened his grip on her and stepped back to gaze into her eyes. "I have to be honest with you. I've realized that my love for you is beyond anything resembling friendship, and it's been that way for quite some time."

The uncertainty that tainted Sam's eyes was washed away by the tender smile that Daniel wore as he gazed at her. Sam felt herself being overtaken by the overwhelming sense of relief similar to the one Daniel experienced when Sam admitted her feelings for him. Her mouth lifted into a smile. "It has?" she asked.

Daniel nodded. "I felt something for you the moment we first met on Abydos. There was this … connection that I felt when you introduced yourself, and it only became stronger after I showed you the cartouche. Anyone might have guessed that we shared something in common just being scientists, but I knew it was more than that. You proved to be such a good friend after we came back to Earth, worrying about me when I wasn't getting enough sleep and just being there to listen when I rambled on about how worried I was about Sha're and Skaara."

Sam briefly looked away and nodded.

"Sam, I've always felt something for you, even when Sha're was still out there," he continued. "It was a close, special friendship at first. I don't know when it evolved into something more than that, but it did. The whole situation with Vala sort of threw it off kilter and shoved it to the background." Daniel sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair before continuing, "I didn't have much time to sort out my feelings for you and discover what they were all about. Since you left SG-1, I realized how it hurt not having you near to me. I missed you on our missions, I missed you in the commissary, I missed you during late nights with coffee and mission reports –"

"I know, Daniel. Teal'c and Mitchell told me," Sam interrupted, a fond smile lighting up her eyes.

Daniel lowered his head and blushed, a small grin forming on his lips. "I must have been insufferable to them this whole time," he said ruefully. "Vala undoubtedly thinks so." He shook his head and his grin faded as he looked back up at Sam. "Anyway, I realized how much I missed you, how much I needed you. That's when I discovered the feelings I have for you."

Sam's eyes began to sting with tears and she began to feel very guilty about what she had done, especially the argument with Daniel that led up to her being reassigned. Deep down she knew there wasn't much of a reason to feel guilty. After all, she wasn't aware that he originally had these feelings for her. Right now, her emotions were guiding her, though, and she couldn't help thinking this way. 

"I have to admit that this whole time being apart from you really forced me to think things through," she began. "That's when my feelings for you made themselves evident to me. I'd never really been aware of them until now. I always had an affinity for you, Daniel. It was there at the moment I first met you, but I knew you were married and that it was wrong to have feelings for you beyond friendship, so I banished them. Then after Sha're died, I backed away for a while to give you some time to get over your grief. Don't get me wrong – we were still friends. "

Daniel nodded, his lips twitching upwards in a faint smile.

"It was not long after that I started the ridiculous flirting with Jack. There was mutual attraction and something inside of me really wanted a relationship with him. But I knew that such a thing wasn't realistic. I guess I went with him because he was 'safe' … it would have been against the regs for us to have an actual relationship. I learned that the safe bet isn't always the best bet. Unfortunately I didn't learn until the incident on Kelowna." Sam tensed up slightly and bit her lip to keep from breaking down emotionally. Daniel sensed her discomfort with the subject and pulled her close to him.

With her head resting against Daniel's shoulder, she continued, "When we found you on Vis Uban and you asked me if there had been anything between us, I told you no because it was the truth and I didn't think it would be fair to lie to you. Even if I did, I knew there was the chance that you could regain your memories and be angry with me or think I was selfish for lying to you about something like that. Still, after you came back, I hoped that we could start over again and I could finally figure myself out as far as my feelings went. That didn't happen and I ended up dating Pete. The childish behavior and flirting with Jack resurfaced, especially after I found him with Kerri. I didn't completely resolve all that until he got promoted and moved to Washington. I just knew that nothing could work out between us. Meanwhile, my feelings for you grew stronger. I think they were always lurking beneath the surface, but I just wasn't able to fully figure them out until now."

Daniel held Sam and stroked her hair. The action released some built-up tension within her and she sighed. "Daniel, this has been so difficult for me. I don't know how long I debated over whether I should say anything to you or just keep living in agony over these feelings I had that might not have been mutual."

"Well, I'm glad you did tell me, Sam," Daniel said gently as he continued stroking her hair. "I was going through the same thing, worrying like crazy that you didn't feel the same way about me and that I'd look like an idiot if I revealed my feelings to you."

At this, Sam raised her head slightly and blushed. "I … I was acting so ridiculous. I thought that this whole time you had feelings for Vala instead."

Daniel stopped stroking her head and gazed at her sadly. He had suspected all along that Sam might have gotten the wrong idea and thought that all the time he'd spent with Vala meant he had deep feelings for her. Choosing his words carefully, he began, "I have to admit that Vala is attractive and smart …"

Sam straightened up and eyed Daniel warily, causing him to chuckle.

"… But not in the way that you are, Sam," he continued, drawing closer to her and stroking her arm. "She cannot measure up to you in my book. You're brilliant and kind-hearted and very attractive." He blushed slightly upon that last word, but continued, "We've known each other for such a long time and the old friendships are the most special to me, especially those that have developed mutually beyond friendship."

Sam could not stop the tears from traveling down her face as she gave Daniel a watery smile. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue from her BDU pocket. Attempting to compose herself, she sniffled and he gathered her into another hug. Finally, the dam broke loose completely and she began to fully open up to him. "Do you remember when I told you that I didn't like the changes around the base?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

"Uh huh. Was that what your transfer was all about?"

Sam stepped out of his embrace and nodded. "Well, it was part of it. All that stuff about SG-1 not being a five-man team was just an excuse. I did feel that I no longer contributed anything to SG-1, but what made me the most uncomfortable was the fact that you and I hardly spent any time together anymore."

Daniel looked at her sorrowfully, feeling struck by pangs of guilt. "Oh, Sam," he breathed. "I feel very bad about that. Vala has monopolized my time for the most part. Thanks to her, I've been set back in doing mission reports, projects, and whatnot. I feel a little guilty complaining about her – I mean, she is useful as far as intel on the Ori is concerned."

Sam looked at him and reluctantly nodded.

"I admit I've thought about this from time to time, and I've realized that we hadn't been as close as before. I regret that it's happened and I hope things can change now," Daniel said as he edged closer to her.

Sam gazed deeply into his blue orbs and smiled faintly. "How about we start right now?" she asked.

Daniel replied with an identical smile before he wrapped his arms around her and covered her lips with his. He initiated a slow, tender kiss and ran his fingers through her hair. Sam responded by caressing Daniel's back and tickling the hairs at the nape of his neck with her fingers. After several moments of sheer bliss, their lips softly parted and they stared soulfully into each other's eyes. Unspoken assurances of their deep feelings for one another were shared before Daniel pulled Sam into another embrace.

At that moment, Sam's eyes colored with slight worry. "I wonder what will happen to the team when we disclose our relationship?" she asked him.

"Well, I guess we'll have to tell General Landry. Hopefully he won't mind as long as Mitchell doesn't have a problem with it," Daniel replied.

Sam nodded and a small smile grew on her face. "Something tells me that Mitchell won't have a problem with it," she said softly. Her smile then faded and she pulled apart slightly from him. "There might be a little problem with Vala, though. She did seem to be extra flirty with you, Daniel. I hope there isn't anything else lurking behind it."

A sober expression crossed Daniel's face and he nodded grimly. "You're right. She said something to me earlier that has me suspicious. It made her sound as if she was jealous of you."

Sam's eyebrows drew together. "What did she say?"

Daniel sighed, reluctant to tell Sam for fear of upsetting her. "She said she felt there was an element of competition on SG-1 … between you and her. She wouldn't come out and say what that was exactly, but I think I have an idea. She … she said some pretty unreasonable things." He gazed at Sam worriedly.

"Like what, Daniel?" Sam asked. Daniel merely shrugged and shook his head, prompting her to continue, "You can tell me. I want to know, I … I have to know."

Daniel released an explosive breath and kept his eyes trained on the floor. "Okay. She said that she couldn't understand why your absence was bothering me so much. She thought it was actually an improvement and she didn't regard you as indispensable to SG-1."

Sam's eyes widened incredulously. "What? She said that?"

Daniel gazed at her uneasily and nodded. 

"I guess I shouldn't complain because I didn't think I was very valuable to the team any longer myself, but …" She trailed off and shook her head in disbelief. "… I still can't believe that she said that. She was in competition with me to be the most important 'girl' on SG-1?" 

As Sam's voice rose in anger, Daniel blushed. "No," he said, barely audible.

"Then, what?" Noticing Daniel's deepening blush, Sam stopped. "Over you?" she guessed, lowering her voice a notch.

Daniel failed to reply, but she could tell what his answer was. She was a bit angry with herself for not realizing it sooner. She chuckled incredulously. "Oh my God, I can't believe this. So, she was jealous of me while I was jealous of her the whole time. I feel like I'm trapped in an Archie comic book or something."

Daniel shrugged and smiled weakly. He then grew more serious. "I'm sorry I put you in this situation, Sam."

Sam shook her head. "Daniel, you didn't put me in this situation. I put myself there. I shouldn't have assumed that you had feelings for Vala, just because she hung around you all this time."

Daniel nodded. "But I'm partly to blame here, too. I should have made an effort to spend more time with you. It certainly would have been better than sitting here, trying to concentrate on translations with Vala insisting on 'helping' and deciphering them all as sexual innuendos." He rolled his eyes and chuckled ruefully.

Sam gave him a smile that was slightly sad in nature. "If she does have any serious feelings for you, you're going to need to have a talk with her, Daniel."

Daniel averted his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I only hope she'll accept my relationship with you."

"She'll have to," Sam told him. "When I saw Colonel Mitchell, he told me that he would remove her from SG-1 if it meant that you would stay and that I would come back."

Daniel eyed Sam seriously. "H-he told you that I …"

"…That you would leave the team and join SG-13? Yeah," Sam confirmed with a smile, drawing closer to him.

Daniel's lips edged upward in a faint smile. "Now you know just how crazy your staying away has made me," he said, barely above a whisper.

"You're so wonderful, Daniel," Sam said before his lips captured hers for another kiss.

The kiss turned more passionate as their hearts overflowed with love for one another. They were both so relieved and so happy in the knowledge that their feelings for each other were one-hundred-percent mutual. They no longer had any reason to worry about any cause for rejection and the removal of that burden left nothing but pure bliss at this very moment.

Daniel expertly slid Sam's blue BDU jacket off her shoulders and he felt her body shudder slightly. If there was any hesitancy on Sam's part, it was very temporary. She felt a warm, wonderful feeling course through her body as Daniel slid his hands underneath the neckline of her black t-shirt and caressed her back. It was a feeling that she hadn't experienced in quite a long time, not since she'd dated Pete. She realized that she enjoyed it much more here and now with Daniel. It felt more comfortable … more _natural_.

These feelings caused her to lift Daniel's t-shirt up to his midriff, exposing his well-developed musculature. He wasn't as bulked up as Teal'c and would probably not stand any chance in a Mr. Universe competition, but his abs were well-toned. Sam relished the way his smooth skin felt underneath her fingers. 

Suddenly, some fairly long forgone animal instinct deep inside her began to give hints of its presence. It caused her to grab his shirt and remove it from his body, leaving him bare-chested. Daniel might have been surprised for a brief moment, but the feelings flowing through his body were on par with Sam's, and they caused him to remove her shirt as well. It wasn't very warm in his office and Sam felt goose bumps prickling her exposed skin for a split second before the heat of ecstasy returned. Daniel had begun planting little kisses along Sam's jaw line down her neck to the valley between her breasts. Each little kiss caused flames of fiery passion to flicker inside her, making her moan with pleasure.

Sam worked her fingers over the breadth of Daniel's smooth, sculpted chest and he reveled in the feel of her touch. He moaned softly before joining his lips to hers for another passionate kiss. Sam closed her eyes as she felt Daniel's tongue enter her mouth and entwine with her own. God, she had not felt this good in such a long time. She and Daniel were now expressing their love for one another, and there was nothing holding them back.

He reached for one of her bra straps and was about to slide it off her shoulder when her eyes widened slightly. She suddenly looked down at her right hand, which had made its way to Daniel's inner thigh still covered by his pants. Daniel had become aware of her hand as well and he suddenly sobered up. They broke apart slightly and silently gazed at each other. 

"We … probably shouldn't …" Sam trailed off, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

"Not here, anyway," Daniel agreed softly.

Sam nodded before Daniel pulled her close to him again. "I love you, Daniel," she breathed.

"And I, you, Sam," he said. He tilted her chin upwards so she could meet his gaze and he bestowed a soft kiss upon her forehead. They stayed in that position for a while, their hearts joined in great love for one another.

Daniel's office door was shut, but his and Sam's actions were still perfectly viewable through the square window in his door. It turned out that they had been viewed by someone, and that someone was not happy at all with what she saw.

She looked on in disbelief, her lips drawn in a deep frown. Her eyes were aglow with something akin to jealousy as well as anger. She could finally not bear to see any more, and so she walked away quickly before anyone could see her.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry I've taken so long to post this. I want to thank everyone who has followed this story and left feedback. I hope you enjoy this final chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5

Vala sat alone at a table in the commissary, her fork dispassionately stabbing food that barely passed as breakfast. Her long, black hair was strewn about, nearly hiding her face save for the tired, worn eyes with dark circles underneath. A deep frown seemed permanently etched into her skin. The image she presented was that of someone who had not gotten much sleep at all. It was true – she could count the hours of sleep she'd had last night on one hand. The image, seared into her mind, of Daniel being intimate with Colonel Carter was responsible.

At first, she had wondered if she was seeing things, or if it had been a figment of her imagination. She angrily berated herself for even entertaining that notion. She knew that what she'd seen had been too real. Heck, she'd known that Daniel and Sam had been close friends, and Daniel's defense of Sam the night before had reinforced that notion. Nevertheless, she still held onto the nearly unattainable hope that what they had didn't go past friendship, and that she herself would still have a chance to develop a closer relationship with the archaeologist.

One thing she was glad for was that virtually everyone in the commissary had the good grace to stay away from her. She was in such a rotten mood right now and was certain she would bite someone's head off if they even batted an eyelash at her.

Staring at her unappetizing food, she sensed someone close by. Vala risked a quick glance upward on the off chance that it was Daniel. Instead she found the stoic gaze of Teal'c. She didn't say a word to him and tried as best as she could to get some of the overcooked scrambled eggs onto her fork. Hopefully he would take a hint and realize that she didn't want to be bothered.

After a few moments in silence, she lifted her gaze upward again and found the Jaffa still standing there. His expression was expectant and perhaps tinged with curiosity. She glanced down at the table and found a tray with a bowl of cereal placed across from her. Teal'c obviously had no desire to leave her alone.

"What?" she grumbled, her mouth full as she glared at him.

"Does something trouble you, Vala Mal Doran?" Teal'c asked.

Vala snorted at the obviously rhetorical question. She didn't see any reason to tell him about what was causing her to be unhappy. Vala was usually a fiercely independent person who liked to deal with problems herself before opening up to others. She knew that Teal'c wasn't going away, so she decided to talk about something entirely different. "This … food is absolutely horrid," she griped, referring to the eggs. "After being on this planet all this time, I still can't figure out why this substance is more like rubber than something edible."

"After living among the Tau'ri for more than ten years, I have not been able to understand this either. That is why I find these 'Froot Loops' much more preferable. Their strangely unnatural colors have always perplexed me, but their taste remains sufficient. I believe I have General O'Neill to thank for this."

Vala didn't want to admit it, but she somehow found his statement amusing. The right corner of her mouth barely lifted into something closer to a half smile than a smirk. She released an explosive breath and directed her eyes back down to her plate, not seeing the hint of a grin on Teal'c's face. She was about to pile more of this so-called food into her mouth when she heard more footsteps.

She lifted her gaze and found Cam heading toward their table with food of his own. He was smiling genially, just like always.

"Hey there," he started. His smile dissolved upon sight of Vala's haggard expression. "Whoa, what happened to you? Have a rough night?" he addressed her.

Reminded of the unpleasant sight she found the night before, Vala felt a wave of nausea hit her. Just when she thought she was feeling better, Mitchell just had to make things worse. She plastered a fake smile to her face. "Why, no, I'm absolutely positively fine and dandy, Cameron!" she exclaimed.

Cam's dubious expression revealed that he was not buying this. "It helps to talk about it," he said simply.

Vala's phony act crumbled. "I don't want to talk about it," she said. "And, frankly, it's none of your business."

Mitchell met her eyes with concern as he took the seat next to Teal'c. "Are you sure?"

Vala decided she was no longer hungry and got up from the table. "Yes. This is something I have to deal with myself," she told him. She deposited the uneaten food in the trash and headed for the doors.

"Oh, hey, wait a minute, Vala. I need to talk to you about something," Cam suddenly called out to her.

"Talk later!" she replied as she stalked from the room, not bothering to look back at him.

Vala strode determinedly down the corridor, her quarters being the ultimate destination. She nearly jumped when Sergeant Walter Harriman suddenly appeared in front of her face from a joining corridor. "Vala, could you please give these computer diagnostics to Colonel Carter?" he asked.

Vala glared at him and thrust her hand out, gesturing for the papers. The Sergeant presented them to her and then politely nodded, "thanks." Not saying a word, Vala snatched the papers from him and abruptly turned in the direction of Sam's office. Noting her strange behavior, Walter gazed oddly at her retreating form before shrugging and walking away.

* * *

Thanks to Walter and the computer diagnostics, there had now been a change of plans. Sam had been rude toward Vala when her little "problem" surfaced several months ago. As Vala's irrational anger overshadowed everything in her thought process, she wondered if Sam had acted that way deliberately to win Daniel's sympathy and draw them closer together. She conveniently ignored the undeniable fact that the linguist and the astrophysicist were good, close friends. The image of their intimacy continued to burn within her and it made her all the madder. 

Not finding Sam in her office, Vala thought she'd have better luck at the other woman's lab. She succeeded, as she found Sam inside and working on something with Dr. Lee. The two scientists looked quite busy. Well, too bad; she was going to have it out with Sam either way. She straightened up and knocked on the doorjamb. Neither scientist looked up from their busywork.

"Colonel Carter, Sergeant Harriman asked me to deliver these to you," she announced abruptly.

That got Sam's attention. She removed her safety goggles and headed toward the door, looking at Vala curiously and seeming a bit surprised to see her. "Oh, uh … thanks, Vala," she said awkwardly as the other woman handed her some papers.

Sam forced a smile and nodded, but Vala stayed put and stared at her. Sam raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"I need to speak with you in private," Vala said coldly, her eyes shooting daggers at the Lieutenant Colonel.

Sam furrowed her brow in confusion, clearly not expecting this. "Uh … okay," she said uneasily, glancing around the room before she gestured to Vala to step further inside.

"I believe I said '_in private_'," Vala snapped, fixing a seemingly interested Bill Lee with a glare. The other scientist regarded her curiously. "What, are you the official head grape today!" her voice rose indignantly. "Get out!"

Dr. Lee's eyes widened and he hastened up out of his chair, his hands raised in surrender. He quickly made his way out of the lab, stopping only to give the angry woman a curious glance. Once he was gone, Vala sighed and turned back to Sam. "Shut the door, won't you?"

Sam felt stung by Vala's caustic tone, but she obliged, thinking that, in some way, Vala was giving her a taste of her own medicine. Sam hadn't been exactly kind to her when all this trouble started several months ago. As those thoughts crept into her head, she actually began to feel a little guilty.

Sam ducked her head and looked down at her hands. She realized that Vala was here and not going to budge until she said her piece. She sighed and lifted her gaze back up to the alien woman. "Look, if it's about the way I was treating you, I apologize for that," Sam began in a conciliatory tone. "I wasn't in a very good mood and I took it out on you." She winced inwardly. Was that the best she could say?

Vala felt some small bit of her anger beginning to ebb away as she regarded Sam incredulously. "Well, I-I did notice that you weren't your usual happy self, but, no, this isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."

Sam gazed at her expectantly. "Then, what?"

Vala looked at Sam, appearing unsure of how to start. Her gaze then shifted to the floor for a moment and she released an explosive breath. "Last night, I ..." she started in an agitated tone. She abruptly stopped and sighed again. "I witnessed you and Daniel in his office," she continued, her voice sounding stronger and more assured.

Sam blinked and a faint blush colored her cheeks. Why didn't she like where this was going?

"I saw you two being quite intimate, even 'hands-y' with each other," Vala spat out, the annoyance and jealousy strong in her tone.

Sam's eyes widened and she frowned. "You saw us?" she nearly choked out. Vala's silence told her all she wanted to know. Sam shook her head in disbelief. "And you came to talk to me because you have some kind of problem with that?" she added, her voice rising incredulously.

"You're fortunate that I'm the only one who saw, and am the only one who knows. If I hadn't shooed Mister Grapevine Busybody out of the room, it would be all around the base as the subject of some juicy gossip," Vala said, avoiding the question.

Sam uttered a sound of disbelief. "You know, what Daniel and I do is really none of your business," she said firmly.

"Maybe you should confine your behavior to somewhere more private, then." Vala seemed to lose any grip she had left on rational thought as she took a few steps closer to Sam and stuck her index finger in the astrophysicist's face. "You don't understand what Daniel and I had together," she said emotionally, "and you never will. It was something very special. He _wanted_ me, Carter."

Sam raised an eyebrow, surprised by Vala's admission but also a bit insulted by the way she addressed her. "I don't know what drove you to that conclusion, but you're wrong. You're mistaking Daniel's patience and compassion for something much greater. You say that I don't understand what you and Daniel had together, but you're the one who doesn't understand, Vala. Daniel and I have been friends for a very long time. We've both had feelings brewing for each other and we've only now become aware of just how strong they are. Actually, in a strange way, we have you to thank for that."

"Oh, don't give me that," Vala cut in impatiently.

"It's true. This time away from each other has given us an opportunity to sort out our feelings. We both came to an understanding and we talked about our relationship in the context of working for the SGC, especially working on the same team." Her gaze hardening, Sam continued, "Speaking of which, Daniel told me something interesting: that you didn't find me useful or 'absolutely indispensable' to SG-1. Who are you to say that?"

Vala shrugged. "Hey, you told Daniel yourself that you didn't think you were useful. I was just backing you up, as it were," she returned glibly.

Sam inwardly breathed a miserable sigh. Vala was right; Sam had asked for it when she complained to Daniel that she didn't feel useful to the team any longer. However, she didn't expect the alien woman to seize upon that notion and use it against her. At the moment, it seemed that Vala truly did believe this. "Yes, I admit that I didn't feel very useful to SG-1 back then. Mitchell and Teal'c and Daniel tried to convince me to the contrary, and it made me realize that I did add something important. In fact, it's led me to rejoin the team."

Vala appeared momentarily surprised by this revelation. The expression on her face then revealed that something inside of her had died. Sam and Daniel were not only in a relationship, but Sam was rejoining the team as well. Vala's argument had just been deflated. "All right, I suppose there's no point in dragging this out for more than it's worth," she began painfully. "I am … jealous." Her gaze immediately found the floor.

"What?" Sam exclaimed.

"I'm jealous of you and Daniel, all right?" Vala spat out at lightning speed. "I noticed how amiably Daniel chatted with you on the phone while you were gone. I noticed the rapport you had with him when you came back and joined us for the mission that led to my extended holiday at Club Ori. Even after I joined you all full-time, watching you work together or just plain interact I could sense something between you two … something that was no doubt missing between him and me."

Sam's expression became a bit sad, and she nearly felt like kicking herself all over again. Yes, it was true. She had gotten the wrong idea and had actually been jealous of Vala, when Vala had been jealous of her all along. She was almost beginning to pity the raven-haired woman, but she knew that her relationship with Daniel was something for which she didn't need to apologize.

"So, you are going to rejoin the team?" Vala asked in a small voice.

Sam nodded. "Yes, I am," she replied, her voice quiet but resolute.

Vala exhaled deeply. "Well, I'd say 'welcome back,' but … I obviously can't stay on the team now."

Sam's forehead furrowed. "Why not?" She obviously knew that Mitchell was planning to boot Vala from the team, but she wasn't about to tell Vala about it. She'd just make things worse.

"Oh, I … I just think it would be better that way," Vala replied, attempting a smile. "No offense," she added hastily.

Sam smiled awkwardly and shook her head. "Well, SG-13 has an opening now. There's always SG-2 – Ferretti's team. SG-17 might be looking for someone with intel on the Ori," she supplied.

Vala shrugged. "I suppose. They wouldn't measure up to the world famous SG-1, but I think I will manage." She took another deep breath and briefly looked away. "Sam, I owe you an apology. I was acting like a stupid little child, being jealous of your relationship with Daniel. I said some very ridiculous things that I didn't mean. I hope you can forgive me." Her expression turned apologetic.

The hint of surprise left Sam's eyes and she smiled faintly. "I think I can accept that. And I'm sorry for the way I treated you. To be honest, I was actually jealous of you." Those last words made her blush.

Vala raised an eyebrow. "You're joking."

Sam shook her head, her blush deepening. "No. I actually had the wrong idea and thought that you and Daniel had become an 'item,' especially since I was seeing less and less of him."

"Wow, I can't say I expected that," Vala told her, her expression turning thoughtful for a brief moment. "Although, I suppose one would get the idea from all the time I had been spending with him." A hint of a sad smile formed on her face. "Speaking of which, I need to have a talk with him as well. I made him pretty angry last night. If there can't be anything between us, the least I need to do is apologize."

Sam nodded. "I think he would appreciate that."

Vala barely nodded back when she caught sight of Bill Lee hesitantly edging close to the lab door. She rolled her eyes and gestured for him to enter. The other scientist looked at her tentatively and, upon receiving further unspoken reassurance, entered the room and made his way back to the workbench.

"Well, I'm off," she said, turning back to Sam. She gestured toward the workbench and the now goggle-clad Dr. Lee and grinned. "Have fun."

Sam gave a short chuckle as the dark-haired woman left the room. She then joined Dr. Lee and put her safety goggles back on. She was glad that she'd more or less resolved this whole predicament with Vala, and she hoped that the other woman's talk with Daniel would achieve the same results.

* * *

Daniel sat at his desk, translating an Ancient artifact that had been brought back by SG-17. He'd been at it for a good forty-five minutes, and was so engrossed in the text that he didn't realize someone had been watching him work for the past twenty or so of those minutes. A sudden throat-clearing sound alerted him to the visitor's presence. 

He finally looked up and his gaze flew over to the open doorway, where he witnessed Vala staring intently at him. "V-Vala," he started in surprise. "Ah, w-what are you…"

"So, it's true," she stated somewhat cryptically.

Daniel's brow knitted in confusion. "What's true?" he asked curiously. The memory of his talk with Sam the night before suddenly struck him, and he realized he knew exactly what she was talking about. Lowering his head, he blushed faintly.

"I talked to Colonel Carter about everything. She told me about the depth of your relationship with her," Vala said. Her voice seemed devoid of any jealousy or anger, and actually made her sound emotionally drained.

Daniel stared at her, still confused. "You won't take Sam's word for it?" he suddenly asked. "You need mine as well?"

Vala sighed. "Yes," she said after a protracted silence. She did know all about it and she did want to take Sam's word as complete truth, but she still felt like she needed some sort of confirmation from him.

"Well, it's true," Daniel said solemnly.

Vala looked away from him. Again, just as she had when she talked to Sam, she felt like something had died inside of her. For some reason, she still wasn't ready to accept this admission completely and thought she'd try again. "What about all that time we spent together a year ago?" she tried almost desperately.

Daniel gazed at her, almost in disbelief. "Well, we didn't have much choice, did we?" he told her, the sarcasm in his tone palpable. "I can't believe you're bringing this up as if it was a fond memory. Yes, we were connected, thanks to you. But it wasn't a physical connection, it was a … no, let me rephrase that. We were connected on some level, but there was nothing romantic about it. D-do you even know what that was like to me?" his voice rose incredulously. "To be forced to remain in such close proximity to one another, or we'd _die_?"

Sighing, he stopped and raked a hand through his hair. His gaze flew back to her and, noticing the sincere agitation on her face, his expression softened. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. What's done is done."

Vala shrugged. "Well, look, I wasn't exactly being responsible when I did that … not that I didn't enjoy any of it," she said impishly as she absent-mindedly played with a strand of her hair. She didn't catch him wearily shaking his head. Her expression became serious one again as she looked him in the eyes. "I suppose there's nothing I can do but accept your relationship with Colonel Carter. But, what about 'us'?"

Daniel sighed. "Vala, no matter what you might have thought in the past, there is no 'us' – there never was and there never will be."

Vala stared at him as if she wasn't ready to believe it. "You're putting me on."

"No, I'm not," Daniel replied, his tone a bit more firm. "I'll admit you have been helpful to us against the Ori. You're smart and, in your own way, caring …"

The alien woman's eyes began to twinkle. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Doctor," she said coyly.

"Vala, please! Let me finish," Daniel exclaimed impatiently. She obliged and he continued, "You're a smart, caring person. But we'll never be more than friends. Sam and I have known each other a very long time. Our feelings for each other were always very deep and we've just begun to realize them now. I'm sorry." His eyes were tinged with apology.

Vala looked at him for a long moment. The sincerity in Daniel's eyes was unmistakable, and she knew that he was absolutely sure of what he was saying. He undoubtedly cared about Vala as a friend, but he cared about Sam as both a friend and a lover. There was nothing she could do to change that. The frustration in her gaze ebbed away and she gave a small nod.

Before anything else could be said, Colonel Mitchell appeared at the door and gave a small knock on the doorframe. Daniel and Vala turned, glancing at him curiously.

"Hey, I was wondering if we could have a minute," Cam said, gesturing to Vala.

Daniel nodded. "Take all the time you need. We've sorted everything out." He met Vala's gaze and gave her a small smile.

Vala nodded. She slowly moved away from him and, just before she reached the door, turned back to Daniel. "Sam is a lucky woman," she said, a sincere smile upon her face.

Daniel's smile was a bit awkward and he ducked his head, blushing faintly. As Vala made her way up to Cam, the lieutenant colonel gave Daniel a reassuring smile before the two disappeared down the corridor.

Sighing, Daniel headed back to his desk. As he sat down, he felt as if he'd gotten a huge weight off his chest. Granted, he did feel a little sad about what had just transpired, especially when it seemed that Vala harbored such strong feelings for him. It did seem as though she finally accepted his relationship with Sam, though, and that was all he needed. He was now free to be with the woman he loved with all his heart and soul.

He succeeded at pushing any worrisome thoughts from his mind, and he resumed his translation of the Ancient inscriptions.

* * *

"That was absolutely delicious, Daniel," Sam enthused as she cleaned her dinner plate. 

Daniel smiled shyly and lowered his head. "Oh, come on. It was nothing," he said humbly.

"Tsk. After nearly ten years, you haven't changed a bit," Sam teased affectionately, giving him a small wink.

Daniel held his hands up in surrender and chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you like it all the same."

"I loved it," she clarified. "How did you learn how to cook like this?"

"That's a rhetorical question, right?" he asked lightly. She swatted him playfully across the chest. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. When I was a graduate student, I did some field work all around the Mediterranean. I befriended a fisherman and his family on the Turkish coast. His wife cooked some wonderful meals and she wasn't shy about teaching me a few tricks."

Sam raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Ah … culinary tricks, I mean," Daniel elaborated, blushing deeply.

Sam snickered. "Well, I have to agree. If this is her recipe, she did cook some wonderful meals."

"Ah, well, it's her recipe with some modifications. Some of the spices were local delicacies only, so I substituted allspice for one of them. Plus, I thought that adding a little ginger would make it taste less bitter."

Sam grinned. "You certainly have a knack for cooking."

Daniel shrugged. "It's one thing that you pick up when you've lived on your own."

Sam nodded as she gathered up the dishes and proceeded to wash them in the sink. "You know," she began over the running water, "we really should talk more about us."

"Ah, Sam, we've talked about us all through dinner. I was glad for your little foray into my cooking. It provided a nice distraction," he told her, his blue eyes twinkling.

Sam quickly turned and threw some soap suds in his face.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. He knocked them out of his hair and looked down at his hands. He then shook them in Sam's direction, getting water in her face.

"That's pathetic," Sam retorted playfully. She took more suds and launched them at Daniel.

"I never thought I'd say this, but this means war," he exclaimed as he picked up a spray bottle filled with water and squirted her with it.

Sam squealed as she tried to dodge Daniel's fire. He chased her around the kitchen table and out into her living room, bottle held out in front of him as if it were a zat gun. He chuckled as he managed to squirt her several more times before she conceded defeat.

"Okay, okay, I give!" she said, holding her hands out in front of her.

They both shared a laugh as Daniel gathered her up into a slightly soggy embrace on her couch. He planted a wet kiss on her cheek that made her face light up.

"You're lucky that this is only water," she said impishly. "Or I'd be giving you hell right now for getting my couch ruined."

Daniel looked down at the couch cushions, which had gotten a bit soggy as well. "Oops," he said innocently. "In that case, I'm glad it's only water. So, what were we talking about again?"

"Us," Sam supplied helpfully.

"Ah, yes," Daniel smiled. "I'm glad that Mitchell took it better than I thought he would, and that he allowed us both to stay on the team."

"Mmm," Sam replied, holding him close and running a hand through his hair. "I had a feeling he would, from what he told me before I went to talk to you. It meant a lot to him to have us remain on SG-1. He didn't want the band to break apart, you know."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "I was just thinking, continuing with the 'band' analogies, doesn't Vala remind you a bit of Yoko Ono?"

Sam blinked and then started laughing. "That's an interesting way of looking at it."

Daniel smiled in satisfaction. "I should tell him that. I wonder what he'd think." He suddenly became plagued by a hint of guilt. "I guess we shouldn't make fun of her like this. I mean, she is useful as far as Ori intelligence goes."

"There's that," Sam conceded. "She does seem happy on SG-2, though."

Daniel nodded. "Ferretti seems to think she's amusing. I'd imagine that he's boring her to tears with his phony 'good ol' boy' stories, though." Noticing Sam chuckling softly, he smiled. "I guess she's getting a taste of her own medicine, in a way. Better that than to have her keep flirting with me and interrupting me."

Sam smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. Daniel put his arm around her and sighed contentedly. They sat like that for several moments before Daniel straightened up, remembering something. "So, are you ready for dessert?"

"You mean you made dessert too?"

"Ah, well … no … but I picked something up from a Mediterranean bakery on the way over," he said, blushing faintly.

Sam smiled expectantly as Daniel disappeared briefly into the kitchen. He returned with an open box and two plates, onto which he shoveled some sweet Baklava.

"Have you decided on a movie for us to watch?" he asked, handing a plate to her.

Sam nodded. "The Mummy 2," she smiled, gesturing to a DVD on the edge of her coffee table.

Daniel smiled and loaded it into Sam's player as she tasted the dessert. Once again, Daniel had done well; it was absolutely delicious.

Once they'd finished eating, they sat back on the couch, cradled in each other's arms as the movie played. Every so often, Sam glanced up at Daniel and smiled happily. When she was least expecting it, Daniel would gaze down at her, a fond smile tugging at his lips. At some point, near the end of the film, their eyes met and their lips joined in a passionate, nearly unending, kiss. Yes, this had actually been a change for the better. It might not have seemed like it at first, but it forced the two of them to realize the depths of their feelings for one another. It also forced them to stop acting as if they had to repress those feelings any longer. They could finally be truly happy and love each other completely.

And, they were.

THE END


End file.
